
Class :i_ 

Book. 

Copyright N°_ 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



Sunday-School Problems 



A Book of Practical Plans for Sun- 
day-School Teachers and Officers 



By AMOS R. WELLS 

Author of " Sunday-School Success," " Three Tears with 
the Children" " Studies in the Art of Illustration" etc. 







W. A. WILDE COMPANY 

BOSTON AND CHICAGO 



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AUG 16 iau5 
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Copyright, 1905, 
By W. A. Wilde Company, 

^// rights reserved. 



Sunday-School Problems. 
E?itered at Stationers'* Hall, London. 



PREFACE 



If you are looking in this book for a systematic treat- 
ment of the subject, for big words and philosophical 
analyses, I am afraid you will be disappointed. 

But if you want to know what practical Sundaj^-school 
workers have found helpful in solving the principal 
problems of their work, I hope you will be aided by 
these pages. 

This book is a record of my thoughts and observations 
on the Sunday school during the past seven years. Its 
various chapters have already enjoyed, separately, a 
wide reading. They have appeared in The New Cen- 
tury Teacher, The Sunday -School Times, The Pilgrim 
Teacher (Congregational), The Baptist Teacher, The 
Westminster Teacher (Presbyterian), the publications of 
the British Sunday-School Union, and addresses before 
various Sunday-school conventions, the American Bible 
League, and the Religious Education Association. 

Whatever may be said of those that discuss the Sun- 
day school from the outside, I am sure that the actual 
teachers of the Sunday school are interested far less in 
theories and criticisms and profound disquisitions on 
"the Sunday-school movement," than in the very humble 

3 



4 PREFACE 

but infinitely important question, how to get Bible wis- 
dom into Tom Jones and Susie Brown. This book says 
nothing, I believe, about " the Sunday-school movement." 
It is just about Tom and Susie. 

Amos R. Wells. 

Boston, 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. HOW TO GET HOME STUDY 7 

II. THE LAST FIVE MINUTES 16 

III. WHAT TO DO WITH BACKWARD SCHOLARS . . 22 

IY. WHAT TO DO WHEN THE LESSON HOUR IS CUT 

SHORT 27 

Y. THE GOOD OF GOALS 34 

YL WHAT TO DO WITH THE DISORDERLY SCHOLAR, 43 

VII. IS THE GOLDEN TEXT WORTH WHILE ? . . . 52 

YIIL THE TEACHER'S MANNER 57 

IX. A GOOD SUNDAY-SCHOOL PATCH 63 

X. WHAT TO DO WHEN THE ATTENDANCE WANES, 68 

XI. THE BOY OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL 79 

XII. THOSE NOTICES 86 

XIII. THE SWING OF THE SCHOOL 93 

XIY. THE PEDAGOGIC YALUE OF FUN ..... 97 

XY. A TEACHER BY POST 108 

XYI. THE SUPERINTENDENT'S BLACKBOARD . . . 116 

XVII. THE SUNDAY SCHOOL AS AN AVOCATION . . 124 

XVIII. HOW TO BUILD UP THE ADULT BIBLE CLASS, 132 

XIX. WHAT TO DO WITH THE HARDER LESSONS . . 141 

XX. THE BIBLE IN THE CLASS 150 

XXL PATRIOTISM IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL . . . 158 

XXII. " SUNDAY-SCHOOLY " 164 

5 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER PAGE 

XXIII. CHRISTIAN EVIDENCES IN THE SUNDAY 

SCHOOL 173 

XXIV. CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES 198 

XXV. THE LESSON PERSPECTIVE 207 

XXVI. THE SUPERINTENDENT THAT NEEDS A 

MUZZLE 213 

XXVII. " PEARLS BEFORE SWINE " 218 

XXVIII. THE CLASS NUCLEUS . 222 

XXIX. WHAT TO DO WITH " THE HIGHER CRIT- 
ICISM ?? 225 

XXX. THAT EASILY POSSIBLE TEACHERS' MEETING, 238 

XXXI. THE RIGHT BAIT 247 

XXXII. HOW TO USE DECISION DAY ...... 250 

XXXIII. BIBLE-MARKING IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL . 256 

XXXIV. HOW TO INSPIRE LOVE FOR THE BIBLE . . 261 

XXXV. PENCIL AND PAPER 268 

XXXVI. WORKING WITH THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S SO- 
CIETY 273 

XXXVII. WHY DO WE TEACH IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL ? 277 

XXXVIII. HOW TO TELL A BIBLE STORY ..,.-,_. 284 

INDEX 295 



SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 



CHAPTER I 

HOW TO GET HOME STUDY 

What complaint is most frequently heard from the 
Sunday-school teacher ? Undoubtedly this : " I can't get 
my scholars to study at home." And that is a pretty 
serious complaint, if the teacher desires to teach, and 
not merely to lecture ; to educate, not harangue. Of 
course, much good may be done the scholars, and the school 
is well worth while, though Bibles are never opened at 
home, and all the class learns about the lesson is what 
their teacher tells them ; but Sunday-school efficiency is 
doubled or quadrupled if home study prepares a founda- 
tion on which the teacher can build. 

Creating an Appetite. — Nor is the object of home study 
merely to gain information ; that is where many teachers 
fail in their efforts to obtain it. One important function 
of home work is to create a zest, an appetite, for the 
work of the school. No teacher will persuade his 
scholars to study the lesson by scolding them. In some 
way, home study must be made attractive. The element 
of play must enter it. We have none of the imperative 
motives which the secular schools can bring to bear upon 
their students, but must make up the lack by ingenuity 
and skill. 

7 



8 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

Plan for It. — It is essential, then, that the Sunday- 
school teacher plan carefully for the home study of his 
scholars, as carefully as for his own work in the class. 
Every week he should present some device, not al- 
ways, though often, a different one. Beginning with 
slight, easy tasks, let him go on to more difficult work; 
but from the start — and here is where many teachers 
fail — it must be something quite definite, and something 
that is evidently worth while, no mere answering of a 
set of leading questions. 

Follow It Up. — Any attempt to bring about home 
study will be useless unless it is followed up, regularly 
and persistently. Call for the results of it the first thing, 
at the beginning of every lesson. While home study is 
becoming a habit, it would be worth while to give each 
scholar a postal card, on which, the middle of the week, 
he will send the teacher a report of his work. A record 
of the scholars' faithfulness in this regard should be kept 
explicitly. Indeed, it will help greatly if this matter is 
recognized each Sunday in the secretary's report to the 
school, so that the scholars may know how many have 
studied at home the past week, and for what average and 
aggregate time, and what improvement is being made. 
At the end of the year, if such home work as I shall sug- 
gest is carried out, the school will have ample material 
for a notable exhibit, interesting to the entire church, 
and a fine advertisement for Bible-study. 

Helps. — It is useless to require home study until the 
scholars have Bibles ; and almost useless unless the Bibles 
are of clear, large type. If they are the Revision, the 
scholars' pathway will be wonderfully smoothed. But 



HOW TO GET HOME STUDY 9 

they will also need the helps that come with a teacher's 
Bible, especially the atlas, the references, and the index. 
As to the concordance, that feature in a teacher's Bible 
is so condensed as to be more of an aggravation than an 
aid. By all means, every scholar that can afford a full 
concordance and a Bible dictionary should be induced to 
purchase them. For the others, a little class library may 
be kept in the most easily accessible place, and there 
should be found not only the books already mentioned, 
but good commentaries on the portion of Scripture the 
school is studying. 

Does any one demur at the cost of this ? Remember, 
the books will answer for years, and it is as foolish to at- 
tempt Biblical studies without text- books as to send your 
children to the secular schools without grammar, arith- 
metic, and geography. 

Instruction in the use of these helps must be given. 
Few scholars know how to use the concordance or Bible 
index, or on what map of the atlas to look for a certain 
place, or even how to get the most out of their regular 
lesson helps. An entire session of the school might prof- 
itably be spent by the teacher in giving this necessary 
instruction and drill. 

Plain Directions. — It is hardly possible to be too ex- 
plicit in giving directions for home study. Fix a reg- 
ular time for this work, so that each of the class may 
know that, when he sits down for his daily ten or fifteen 
minutes with the lesson, all the other members of the 
class, so far as possible, are at the same task. And give 
the scholars written programmes for their stud} 7 , as : — 

1. Intervening events and lesson proper (Bible.) 



10 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

2. Place (atlas). 

3. Time (lesson help). 

4. Persons (Bible dictionary). 

5. Events (commentary). 

6. Teachings (lesson helps, etc.). 

7. Scripture light (Bible index). 

One of these points may be taken up on each of the 
seven days of the week, and the lesson may be studied 
in this order in the class. Such a programme, however, 
soon grows monotonous, and the scholars will become 
able to do this fundamental work more rapidly, leaving 
time, at home and in class, for more attractive advanced 
work such as I shall indicate. 

If possible, interest the parents in this home study. 
Nothing will better promote the success of your class. 
In any event, it is an admirable plan for you, once each 
week, to study the lesson with one of your scholars, tak- 
ing them in turn. Not only will you thus give them the 
most needed intellectual help, but you will get closer to 
their spiritual needs than in any other way. In addition, 
it will be a delightful stimulus if the scholars themselves 
meet occasionally at one of their homes, for an evening of 
study together. 

Specimen Studies. — The nature of the special home 
studies, which are to add zest to your routine work, de- 
pends, of course, on what part of the Bible you are study- 
ing. If, for example, you are entering upon the life of 
Saul, set your class to preparing historical charts, show- 
ing the Hebrew kings in order, at distances proportioned 
to the lengths of their reigns. If you are beginning the 
life of Christ, interest your scholars in constructing 



HOW TO GET HOME STUDY 11 

charts which will show in order all the recorded events 

of his life. 

If the lessons lie in the Psalms, get the class to go 
through the entire book, prefixing a title to each Psalm, 
or classifying the Psalms under a few suitable heads, 
such as "Psalms of Praise." The lesson may be one of 
the miracles. Then have the scholars make a list of the 
Bible miracles that are akin to it, such as all miracles 
of healing. A parable may be the lesson theme. In 
that case the class may be set to writing paraphrases ; 
or, if any are capable of the feat, they may be asked to 
tell the story in original verse. 

A quarter's lessons lie in Genesis. Ask the scholars to 
read the entire book, finding a keyword for each chap- 
ter. A lesson from Proverbs may contain a maxim re- 
garding money. Induce the scholars to collect the rest 
of the proverbs that discuss the use of wealth. The 
choice of the twelve disciples is the theme. Obtain, from 
this home study, lists of events and sayings which will 
exhibit all that the New Testament tells us concerning 
each disciple. 

Give your work an air of completeness, of finality. 
For instance, with the first temperance lesson of the 
year let each scholar get (or make) a blank book, in 
which he will copy, during the four temperance lessons 
of the year, all that the Bible says on this theme. Or, 
you are beginning the lessons in the life of Samuel. Get- 
ting other blank books, the scholars will proceed to com- 
pile, as they go on, their own biographies of the great 
judge, gathering up whatever the Bible or the lesson 
helps say about him. In the same way the class will 



12 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

make their own lives of Paul, putting in an account of 
each Epistle at the time when it was written. Some 
lessons taken from the minor prophets will give rise to 
another little book, one page being devoted to each 
of the twelve, the Bible dictionaries being ransacked for 
all known facts of their lives. At another time, as you 
draw near to the end of a series of Old Testament studies, 
the order may be : Prepare a list of all the principal 
characters of the Old Testament, in their chronological 
order. In such ways the scholars will be made to feel 
that they are actually achieving something, completing 
something. 

One of the most profitable lines of home study is the 
correlation of the Bible, illustrating Scripture with 
Scripture, making the scholars familiar with the Bible 
as a whole and not merely with the fragments on their 
lesson leaves. Thus a lesson from a Bible address, such 
as that of Moses in Deuteronomy or that of Paul on 
Mars Hill, will suggest a study of all the orations of the 
Bible; and this study will extend over several Sabbaths, 
to be followed, at intervals, by similar studies of Bible 
poems, Bible letters, and the like. Similarly, the lesson 
on Elijah's ravens will bring about a search for Bible 
birds ; and other lessons will lead you to study Bible 
fishes, trees, mountains, children, mothers, brothers, 
rivers, and like topics almost without end. With older 
scholars the object of exploration may be more ethical, 
and they may be asked to illustrate the main teaching of 
the next lesson, for instance, by three passages from 
other parts of the Bible. Or, for work with a still wider 
range, ask the scholars to bring in next Sunday, each of 



IJOW TO GET HOME STUDY 13 

them, a set of ten references obtained from reference 
Bibles and appropriate to the various sections of the 
lesson, the class to select, by vote, the references that 
seem on the whole to be the best. By such contrivances 
as these, frequently varied, you may attach your week's 
lesson to the rest of the Bible, and make your scholars 
feel that the entire sixty-six books are one Book. 

As the teacher earnestly plans for home study, a great 
number of devices will occur to his mind. One of the 
best of these is Bible marking. Some simple system of 
indicating the subjects of verses, such as by significant 
letters in the margin, — P for prayer, S for sin, SI for 
salvation, — prove sufficient to interest your scholars in 
hunting up correlated texts, and making their Bibles 
books that can be used. 

Occasionally let the teacher prepare a set of questions 
on the lesson, a set quite full and difficult. Using some 
manifolding device, prepare a copy for each scholar, as a 
guide and stimulus to home study. Occasionally, too, 
and perhaps better, get the scholars themselves to pre- 
pare at home sets of questions on the coming lesson, 
sending them to you by Friday, that you may use the 
questions on the coming Sunday. 

Sometimes, at the beginning of the year, perhaps, let 
the teacher give each member of his class a blank book, 
saying, "This is your Duty Book. I want you to write 
out in it, each week, in the course of your home study, a 
statement of the duty or duties the lesson inculcates. 
Bring these books to the class, so that we may compare 
notes." 

Many classes will be interested in making their own 



14 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

Bible commentaries. For this purpose they will need a 
lot of blank paper of uniform size. Cutting out the 
lesson text from their lesson leaves or quarterlies, they 
will paste it on one of these sheets, writing beneath 
whatever explanation is needed, prefixing verse numbers 
to each point taken up. They will be interested in this 
work in proportion as they are faithful to it, and see it 
growing till it promises to cover the whole Bible. 

If you have many lessons from a single book, as from 
one of the Gospels, get each scholar to print the name of 
the book on a blank book, and write inside a running 
analysis of the chapters. Be sure to have in each book 
a title page and a preface, the latter to contain an ac- 
count of the author and the circumstances under which 
the book was written. 

Sometimes ask the class to bring, written out, analyses 
of the current lesson made under the following heads : 
Time ; Place ; Connection ; Chief person ; Subordinate 
persons; Chief event; Subordinate event; Chief teach- 
ing ; Subordinate teaching. Use this order in the class 
discussion. 

Often let a review be part of the home study. To 
insure this you might ask the class, for instance, to write 
out, and hand or send to you during the week, a full 
statement of the teachings of the lesson just studied. 

I do not think that acrostics are generally practically 
helpful, though if the scholars themselves prepare them 
they will promote home study. I do believe, however, in 
the preparation of diagrams showing the succession of 
historical events, reigns of kings, and the like, and espe- 
cially do I believe in home-made maps; for example, a 



HOW TO GET HOME STUDY 15 

map showing Christ's journeys, a different color for each 
journey, the events being indicated by numbers with 
marginal explanations ; or a similar map for Paul's jour- 
neys, or one for the various travels and events of Moses' 
life, or one for the various exiles. 

Quite a different line of work, promotive of home 
study, is the search for illustrations of the lesson truths. 
It may be a temperance lesson ; send the class to study 
the newspapers for illustrations. At other times urge 
them to bring you illustrations from biography, history, 
the annals of missions. 

Bible scrap-books will prove useful in stimulating 
home study. They will be receptacles for maps and 
diagrams, for all pictures illustrating the Bible, and for 
photographs of famous paintings of Biblical subjects. 
If there is a place for such a collection it is astonishing 
how rapidly it will grow, and interest in it will grow 
with equal rapidity. 

I have named a variety of methods for promoting 
home study, and yet I have only begun ; for, like any 
other line of endeavor, skill in this work and abundance 
of plans are the fruit of sincere attempts and persistency. 
We can obtain home study if we want it, and if we will 
add to our desires a measure of ingenuity, energy, and 
perseverance. 



CHAPTER II 

THE LAST FIVE MINUTES 

Ik many Sunday schools it is the custom to ring a sig- 
nal bell five minutes before the close of the teaching. 
Whether he like it or not, that bell marks a crisis in the 
teacher's work. The test of his teaching has come. Now 
or never he must manage those finishing touches which 
in the case of his pedagogic effort, as of a statue or a 
poem, ally it to the endless years, or, failing, send it to 
the refuse heap of all poor work. 

How Not to Do It. — Those precious five minutes must 
never be spent on Sunday-school mechanics, — collecting 
the pennies, making announcements, distributing the li- 
brary books or papers. These should all have been cleared 
out of the way. 

Nor should this climactic time be spent upon any minor 
detail of the lesson. No matter what interesting fact 
you leave out, no matter what bright anecdote or telling 
point you omit, go at once to the main teaching of the 
lesson, and during those five minutes drive it home. 

Yet you will not succeed if you allow an uneasy sense 
of hurry to dissipate your attention and that of your 
scholars. They must not be made to feel, " Only five 
minutes more! " but, " Now for the best ! " If anything, 
proceed more deliberately than before, since a sense of 
leisure is necessary for the wisest teaching and the surest 
learning. 

16 



THE LAST FIVE MINUTES 17 

Especially, have a carefully matured plan for those last 
five minutes. If the half-hour's teaching has given you 
a sudden inspiration for your close, and you are certain 
it is worth following, follow it ; but such inspirations are 
far more likely to come if you are prepared against their 
not coming. For instance, just when that warning bell 
rings, some anecdote appropriate to the lesson will catch 
the attention of your scholars and withdraw it from the 
thought of time ; but you must have it ready in reserve, 
as a part of your lesson plan. 

Not with Homilies. — The most common use of tjf§ last 
five minutes is in exhortation. That is almost always a 
mistake. Kestless with the half-hour's steady thought, 
the class will not be appreciative of sermonettes. It is 
necessary, if you would hold their attention, to give them 
something to do. If you can set them to work, and 
make their own activity of hand and mind draw to- 
gether the lesson thoughts into some rememberable whole, 
you will have set a worthy and workmanlike seal on your 
teaching. It seemed to me that I could not furnish more 
practical help in this chapter than by suggesting perhaps 
a dozen ways of doing this. 

1. Give each member of the class a slip of paper, and 
ask them to sum up the teaching of the lesson in a single 
word — or in two words, three, or ten, as seems best. 
After all are done, each will read his summary, and you 
will state which seems the best, and why. 

2. Place on the blackboard — and always a large block 
of paper will answer, if you have no blackboard — some 
symbol of the lesson. It may be a diagram, a simple 
picture, a mere acrostic. Explain it briefly ; then hand 



18 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

out pencils and paper and have the symbol copied, and 
the copies taken home as souvenirs of the lesson. If the 
paper you give out for this purpose is heavy, and neatly 
cut into some pretty shape, it will be more likely to be kept. 

3. Distribute among the scholars brief quotations from 
well-known writers bearing on the great truth of the les- 
son. These will be read aloud one by one, and you will 
comment, very briefly, on each. 

4. Get the class to question you on the events of the 
lesson, and urge them to press in the queries as rapidly 
as possible, while you make your answers brisk and brief. 
At the close, you yourself will ask the one important 
question, forcing home the lesson truth upon their con- 
sciences. 

5. Show the class some beautiful picture previously 
concealed, such a picture as Holman Hunt's " The Shadow 
of the Cross." Get them to tell you what idea is brought 
out by the artist. 

6. A very impressive method of closing is to give each 
scholar a personal note, fitting the lesson to his special 
need. Have these notes read in silence, and then ask 
that all heads be bowed while you offer a short closing 
prayer. 

7. Every teacher should have his own collection of 
poems, especially chosen for their helpfulness in illustrat- 
ing Scripture themes. Choosing from this collection the 
one best adapted to impress the lesson of the hour, place 
it in large script before the class, or dictate it line by 
line, while they copy it. Ask them to commit it to 
memory at home, and be sure at the next meeting of the 
class to have the poem recited. 



THE LAST FIVE MINUTES 19 

8. Prepare a set of questions covering the ground of 
the lesson. Make them as crisp and interesting as possi- 
ble. T\ 7 rite them in plain, large script on a big sheet of 
paper, which you will hang before the class as soon as 
the five-minute bell rings. Furnish the scholars with 
pencils and paper, and bid them see who can answer cor- 
rectly the most of the questions before the close of the 
five minutes. 

9. Print or write on a large sheet of paper some 
beautiful hymn or some fine prose quotation suitable to 
the lesson. Unroll it suddenly and place it before the 
class. Say a word about the author, if you know any 
fact of his life that adds force to the extract. Then get 
the class to read the quotation in concert, softly, and 
again and again, till the thought has thoroughly entered 
their minds. Close with silent prayer, all heads bowed, 
the petition being that God will make that truth a part 
of their lives. 

10. Having determined w r hat central teaching you 
wish to impress, examine carefully the past week of your 
life, and see if you have not had some experience which 
illustrates that truth. Study in the same way your 
scholars' lives, so far as } T ou know them or can imagine 
them, and search out similarly illuminating experiences. 
Recall the news of the week, with the purpose of dis- 
covering some prominent event that brings out the main 
teaching of the lesson. From one or more of these 
sources you can doubtless glean an anecdote that will 
rivet the attention of the class for these concluding five 
minutes, and fasten the lesson truth in their minds better 
than a half-hour's homily. 



20 SUJNTDAY-SCHOOL PKOBLEMS 

11. Teachers, especially of the younger classes, should 
make collections of well-told stories that point useful 
morals. They will serve as standing models for the 
teacher's style, and also will help by direct use. Choos- 
ing one of these that is suitable, spend the last five 
minutes in reading it before the class (or get one of the 
class to read it), asking the scholars to listen intently 
and write out their remembrance of the story as soon as 
they get home. Give them stamped and directed envel- 
opes in which to mail to you these stories during the 
week, that you may examine them and read the best 
before the class on the next Sabbath. 

12. Appoint one member of the class to take your 
place in front, and submit to be questioned on the lesson 
by all the class. As soon as he misses a question, appoint 
another to take his place, and so on. As the five min- 
utes draw near their close, tell the class that you also 
want to ask a question, the most important question of 
all ; and then proceed briefly to bring out, by a single 
heart-searching query, the truth you wish chiefly to 
impress. 

13. All of the foregoing plans elicit the interested 
cooperation of the class; but you will gain and hold 
their attention very effectively if you can persuade some 
good speaker to "drop in" on the class just as the warn- 
ing bell rings, and talk to your scholars for five minutes 
on the topic which } 7 ou have made your central theme. 
The class will accept a homily from a fresh speaker when 
they would not accept it from you. 

It will be seen that, if }?ou are to make such thorough 
plans for these last five minutes, you must not be cheated 



THE LAST FIVE MINUTES 21 

of them, The superintendent must understand that for 
no reason are they to be abbreviated. The warning bell 
and the closing bell must come with most " dependable " 
regularity. 

The ideal use of these five minutes will do five things, 
— one for each minute. 1. It will grip your scholars' 
attention, and hold it in defiance of all distractions. 
2. It will concisely review the lesson. 3. It will bring 
it to a climax, a rememberable point. 4. It will apply 
this central truth to the heart-life of the scholars. 5. It 
will send them away stimulated, pleased, and wanting 
to come again. Thus treated, the last five minutes will 
be the eagerly anticipated crown of the entire session. 

Indeed, I might fittingly compare these final five min- 
utes to the arrow-head with its barbs, whereby the arrow 
makes a permanent conquest. And if I have given too 
complicated directions for fashioning the arrow-head, I 
hasten to remind the teacher that only one method, or 
even a part of one method, is to be applied at once, and 
continued till it becomes easy and familiar. Your last 
five minutes may not be pedagogically perfect ; but if 
you realize their importance and do your best, they will 
grow constantly in attractiveness and force ; and, any- 
way, even a clumsy arrow-head is better than a headless 
arrow. 



CHAPTER III 

WHAT TO DO WITH BACKWARD SCHOLARS 

The backward scholar is the teacher's test. If the 
teacher brings the backward scholar forward, he is the 
teacher's triumph. " What thank have ye " if ye make 
only bright scholars learn? "What do ye more than 
others ? " 

Sympathy. — I suppose the first requirement, if a teacher 
would help a backward scholar, is that he be sympathetic. 
You cannot greatly help any scholar, still less a dull one, 
until you believe in him, and show him that you believe 
in him. Bemember Sir Walter Scott, and all the rest of 
the Ions: line of brilliant men and women who were 
stupid children. Eecognize diversities of gifts, and re- 
member that not all children are cast in the same mold. 
Courage will be half of progress for the backward 
scholar, and your courage will be more than half of his. 

Comradeship. — Though you are on terms of comrade- 
ship with no others of your class, you must be on such 
terms with the dull scholar. Your immediate pleasure 
would lead you to have more to do with the more at- 
tractive pupil, so that you will need to be on your guard 
here. Your personal leadership must move the back- 
ward scholar forward, and he will not follow your 
leading unless he likes you. 

And so it is a good plan to invite the less ready scholar 
to your own house, to study the lesson with you ; or, go 

22 



WHAT TO DO WITH BACKWARD SCHOLARS 23 

to his house for this partnership study. You can show 
him how to study better in this way than any other, and 
that is the first thing he has to learn. Besides, with 
every such lesson you can come into more intimate 
acquaintance with him. 

Along this line, however, the aid of some one of his 
own age will be worth more than yours. Children quite 
invariably learn more readily from one another than 
from their elders — a principle too often left out of sight 
in secular as well as religious instruction. And so, if 
you can naturally bring it about, get the brighter scholars 
to study the lessons with the duller ones. To show them 
how, have at your home occasional jolly " study bees" 
for the whole class, and then for some weeks set them to 
studying two by two, the duller with the brighter so far 
as you can arrange it, the younger with the older. 

There is one great advantage in going to the back- 
ward scholar's home to study with him, — you thus 
become familiar with his home surroundings. Many a 
poor scholar could be transformed into an excellent one 
if you could obtain the cooperation of his parents. No 
teacher can work very long in the homes of his scholars 
without waxing zealous for a home department of the 
Sunday school. Establish such a department, make a 
special effort to obtain the membership of the duller 
scholars' parents, persistently urge the study of the lesson 
as a united family, and as by magic your stupid scholars 
will be changed into earnest and effective pupils. 

I have spoken about the need of sympathy with the 
backward scholar, such sympathy as this intimate knowl- 
edge will beget. A backward scholar should never be 



24 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

scolded, in the class or out of it. He should never be 
told that he is backward. Pie should never be allowed 
even himself to admit that his abilities are less than his 
comrades'. Progress will be made through a feeling, not 
of inferiority, but of power. If you want your scholars 
to work you must fill them, not with shame, but with 
interest. 

Begin with His Best Points — Find out, therefore, what 
the backward scholar can do most easily and well, and 
develop that first. Get him to help you make ready for 
teaching the lesson. He may be a good penman. Get 
him to copy out the little question slips or outline slips 
you hand each scholar as a guide to the next week's 
study. He may be a fair reader. Find some interesting- 
paragraph or brief article or poem on the lesson, or some 
phase of it, and have him read it before the class, pre- 
viously reading it at home. He may enjoy drawing and 
be measurably expert at it. Set him to preparing some 
diagram or chart or map for you, or even, if he is suffi- 
ciently skilful, get him to copy a picture of some Biblical 
landscape. He may have many friends. Interest him 
in the work of obtaining new scholars. He may be ready 
of speech. Ask him to exhibit to the class a picture or a 
series of pictures in some book, accompanying them with 
running comments. 

Set Him Definite Tasks. — Give him a single question to 
study during the week and answer the next Sunday. 
Assign to him a single verse of the lesson, and tell him 
that you and the class will look to him, and to him alone, 
for information on that verse. Give him a single anecdote 
or other illustration of the lesson theme, and ask him to 



WHAT TO DO WITH BACKWARD SCHOLARS 25 

read it or tell it, and apply it to the lesson. Have him 
write out the lesson story in his own words, and read 
this paraphrase as an introduction to the next Sunday's 
study. 

Form a definite aim in your own mind for the backward 
scholar, some little goal in view, the actual attainment of 
which will comfort you with assurance of progress. 
This goal may be his mastery of a simple outline of the 
quarter's history, his grasp of a single great truth from 
the quarter's lessons, his retention of the main facts of a 
single life, or his ability to take part in a single phase of 
the class work. Tell him what is your aim for him. 
Devise some ledger or form of account by which he can 
measure and record his growth from Sabbath to Sabbath. 
In estimating him never judge him by others, but by 
himself, bearing distinctly in mind his initial dulness, 
and judging his advance from that. 

Especially, praise the backward scholar just as soon as 
you honestly can, and just as much and as frequently as 
you honestly can. Praise is the sunshine to his growing. 
Get others to praise him also. Show them the map he 
has drawn, the chart he has made, the little essay he has 
written ; and if he is not present, be sure to repeat to him 
their commendation. 

In all your class work with the backward scholar, 
put yourself in his place. Try to imagine his mental 
gropings. For his sake be very clear, even on points 
that seem to } r ou to be self-evident. The fullest of ex- 
planations and the most persistent of reviews will not be 
an injury to the rest of the class. Manv children seem 
to know more than they actually, on thorough exam- 



26 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

illation, do know ; and the presence of backward scholars 
may thus become a blessing to the brightest students. 

For this reason, especially, I would not transfer the 
dull scholar to a lower class, however clear it is that an 
error was made in placing him where he is. His Bible 
study may be spoiled for life by the shame of such a 
lowering in rank. Of course, I would not retain a back- 
ward scholar where his presence would seriously retard 
the progress of others, but, in our flexible Sunday-school 
work, that need never be feared. 

It may be an advantage, however, to try another teacher 
with your backward scholar, and with that end in view 
it would be well to effect an exchange of classes, some 
Sunday, with some teacher quite different from yourself. 
She may discover the secret of your failure, if you have 
failed, and be able to suggest to you ways of developing 
the child that you would never have thought of. In the 
same spirit, the day-school teacher should be consulted, 
and from his course with the backward scholar, and his 
fuller knowledge, born of longer observation than your 
poor hour a week can give you, he will be able very 
certainly to aid you in your difficult task. Humility is 
one of the true teacher's prime virtues, — the willingness 
to learn from others. 

Indeed, is any price, of lowliness, painstaking, or 
patience, too great to pay for the awakening of an 
immortal soul ? And when the end is gained, and the 
backward scholar has become a good Bible student, 
skilled in Christian truth and even able to lead others, 
will any road seem too long that you have traveled to 
reach that goal ? 



CHAPTER IV 

WHAT TO DO WHEN THE LESSON HOUR IS CUT SHORT 

Ojste of the great advantages the secular schools possess 
over the Sunday schools is their uniform teaching periods. 
The secular teacher knows what time he has to develop 
the lesson. He is not likely to be interrupted, and he is 
certain that his time will not be cut short. Indeed, he 
would not tolerate other conditions. 

How Our Teaching Time is Cut Short. — In Sunday 
schools, on the contrary, there are a number of causes 
that may lessen the time for teaching. If the school is 
held after the morning services, whatever prolongs them 
will delay its opening, and part of the time thus lost is 
likely to be taken out of the teaching period. The 
scholars may be slow in arriving, or even the superintend- 
ent may be late. The opening exercises may be unduly 
prolonged by many causes. There may be some visitor, 
who is asked to "make a few remarks" to the school; 
and " a few " is woefully indefinite ! There may be new 
music to practise for a special occasion, and this time is 
unwisely taken for the purpose. Your school may be 
blessed (?) with a talking superintendent, who confuses 
the superintendent's desk with a pulpit, and must have 
his little homily though the proper business of the school, 
the Bible lesson, is crowded out into the cold. Or, }^ou 
may have the dilatory superintendent, or the fussy 
superintendent, or the drawling superintendent, any one 

27 



28 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

of whom is good for ten minutes a Sunday stolen from 
the lesson hour. Finally, a threatening storm, or various 
other causes, may cut short the hour at the end. 

There is no excuse for most of these abbreviations of 
the teaching time, and in the majority of cases the teach- 
ers should provide against the recurrence of the abuse by 
protests at the teachers' meeting or in private. Gen- 
erally, the singing or other opening exercises should be 
cut short rather than the lesson. Very seldom is it wise 
to ask any one to address the school, and never should 
any one that is destitute of the grace of brevity be given 
such an opportunity of disastrous dulness. 

However, times will come when even the shrewdest 
superintendent is obliged to cut short the lesson hour. 
If he knows what is coming, he will give notice to the 
teachers as long in advance as possible — on the previous 
Sunday, or at the beginning of the session. Sometimes 
he cannot do even this. 

The problem, then, is a real perplexity. The difficulty 
is one that spoils many lessons in many schools. No one 
plan is adequate to meet it, but I must name many 
points which the teacher should bear in mind in this 
emergency. 

A Short Plan. — Of course, if advance notice is given, 
the teacher can form a short plan for his lesson. He can 
lay out a set of clear-cut questions. He can go through 
them briskly. He may surprise himself with time to go 
through them again. 

Usually, however, there is no such notice, but, to your 
dismay, the superintendent comes around, as you are just 
fairly started, and says, " Sorry, but we'll have to close 



WHEN THE LESSON HOUR IS CUT SHORT 29 

in ten minutes," and is off to the next class. Then 
what's to be done ? 

Be Cheerful. — Well, meet the emergency with a smile. 
It is a notable test of your pedagogical resources. If 
you can come forth victorious from a suddenly shortened 
lesson hour, you can conquer almost any other difficulty 
of the teacher's art. 

Do not allow a feeling of dismay and of uselessness to 
possess you. Do not say to yourself, " Only ten 
minutes ! " Say rather to yourself, " Now for six hun- 
dred precious seconds ! " Unless the scholars already 
know it, do not admit them into the secret that the 
teaching time has been abbreviated. Certainly do not 
let them guess it from your manner. Do not appear 
hurried, for that will spoil the effect of your work. 
Many a soul has been Avon for Christ in ten minutes. 
For all we know, it required no longer than that to win 
each of the twelve apostles. Ten minutes — why, they are 
a small eternity ! 

Your "At Least." — Just the same, in spite of philoso- 
phy, it is far better to have your course of procedure 
thoroughly mapped out beforehand. And so I think 
that every lesson should be studied by the teacher with a 
view both to a long plan and to a short plan. That is, 
every preparation a teacher makes should have an " at 
least " section. So much, at least, must be taught — these 
few facts, this one truth. 

A lesson that is thus planned in sections need not be 
taught in a scrappy w r ay. Indeed, it is much more 
likely to be presented as a well-balanced whole. You 
will have gained that sense of proportion which is so 



30 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

large a part of wise teaching. You will have recognized 
the essentials of the lesson, and placed them in their 
rightful supremacy over the incidentals. For instance, 
you will not be likely, in teaching about the woman who 
touched the hem of Christ's garment, to spend half the 
lesson time in discussing the fashion of Oriental robes. 

Recognize Limitations. — It is a great thing for a 
teacher to recognize limitations, and not try to do more 
than under the circumstances can be well done. Here 
are scholars more or less ignorant and stupid. Here is a 
lesson more or less beyond their comprehension. Here 
are distractions around them. Here is a cramped recita- 
tion period. It will save you a deal of discouragement 
and will render your teaching far more effective if you 
w r ill plan your lesson simply, with only one or two clear- 
cut, easily attained ends in view ; in other words, if you 
will plan it for a possible cutting short of the lesson 
hour. 

Just Three Points. — And so I would have a regular 
schedule, an " at least " schedule, for each lesson. Three 
points. Three points only. First, just what happened. 
Second, the effect of this happening on the principal 
characters and on history. Third, w r hat it all has to do 
with our own lives. The routine work — taking the 
collection, making the record of attendance, perhaps 
even the distribution of the papers — I would have done 
at the very beginning of the lesson hour, and out of the 
w r ay. Then I would plunge at once, first into the review, 
and then into the three fundamentals of the new les- 
son, just as I have outlined them. 

After these three points have been presented, and you 



WHEN THE LESSON HOUR IS CUT SHORT 31 

are sure the class have mastered them thoroughly, take 
up the subordinate points, — the details of customs that 
are not essential to an understanding of the main points, 
the non-essential phrases and sentences in the text that 
require explanation, and the minor applications to modern 
life. This would be an anticlimax ? Yes, if you should 
stop here; but a few minutes should always be left at 
the end of the lesson, that you may bring up again the 
central teaching, and send your scholars away with that 
ringing in their heads. 

Such experiences as this article refers to are likely to 
make one understand the advantages of written questions. 
I do not mean the printed questions on the lesson 
leaves, though those are far better than they used to be ; 
but I mean your very own questions, carefully thought 
out, framed with brightness and variety, and precisely 
adapted to the needs of your class. Though I should al- 
ways write out such questions, for it is the best of prac- 
tice, I should not ordinarily read them ; but if you have 
in your pocket such a list of questions, how fine they will 
be to fall back upon when the demand comes for a swift 
close of the lesson ! Whip them out, introduce them 
with eclat as a novel exercise, read them briskly, and 
the class will be delighted with the change. Very likely 
you will be able to go over the entire list a second 
time before the superintendent summons the school to 
close. 

Come Quickly to the Point.— At any rate, whatever 
method you adopt, get to the central point of the 
lesson as soon as you can. (Not every teacher, alas ! 
knows what that central point is.) Whatever little 



32 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

difficulties arise, whatever questions on non-essentials are 
asked, postpone them to the end of the lesson or promise 
to answer them after the session. Ask the hardest 
questions of the brightest scholars. Expedite matters in 
every way. Oil the wheels of the lesson. 

But do not, for the sake of saving time, leave out the 
little touches by which you hoped to get the lesson re- 
membered. That striking illustration, that clear-cut dia- 
gram, that illuminating picture, — be sure to get these in. 
Don't leave the class with the skeleton of the lesson ; 
clothe it with flesh and blood. Remember: there is ab- 
solutely no use in teaching at all, except as your teaching 
is remembered. 

The Application to Life. — Therefore, be sure to make 
the application. It is by the application that a lesson 
goes, just as it is by the applied postage stamp that a let- 
ter goes. It is never enough to get a lesson into the 
head — that is what the secular schools do ; you must get 
it into the heart, if yours is to be a Sunday school. 

For there is no Bible lesson, no matter how hurried 
and brief, but may save a soul. Plan every week for 
that blessed end. Expect it every week. Remember 
how that discouraged minister came to Spurgeon and 
complained because after years of preaching he could 
point to only three or four converts. " Why, man 
alive ! " exclaimed the modern apostle, " you don't 
expect to save a soul every time you preach, do you?" 
"Why, no, of course not," answered the minister. 
" That's why you don't," said Spurgeon. 

So that, if you have the story of the brazen serpent to 
teach, and less time than usual at your disposal, you will 



WHEN THE LESSON HOUR IS CUT SHORT 33 

of course be sure that your scholars have the outline of 
the event, — where the Israelites were, whither they were 
bound, what peril beset them, and how they were saved 
from the peril ; but you will not tarry long over the 
route through the desert, or the exact kind of snakes that 
bit the Israelites, for you will be eager to get to Christ, 
who, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, has 
been lifted up on the saving cross. You will give them 
the drink of water, and then, if there is time, they may 
examine the pattern of the glass. 

Do Not Make a Ragged Stop.— That is one fault of 
most abbreviated lessons. Bound out your task in a 
workmanlike manner. You may be discussing a trivial- 
ity when the warning signal comes. Break off at once 
and return to the great heart of the lesson. Let the last 
words be of that resplendent truth. 

But stop, anyway, when the rest of the school stops. 
No truth you may be teaching is so valuable as the ex- 
ample of prompt obedience. 

And then, when you reach home, think it all over, see 
just how you did it, and meditate how you may do it 
better when next such an emergency arises. This retro- 
spect and examination are well bestowed upon every 
lesson, but they are doubly necessary and valuable when 
the lesson hour has been cut short. 



CHAPTER V 

THE GOOD OF GOALS 

When I went to college the military drill of the 
students was conducted at one time by an irascible Ger- 
man drill sergeant. He had no mercy, either on our 
aching muscles or on our addled wits. He delighted in 
tricks to trap the unwary. Well do I remember how he 
would have us load our muskets, and then in measured, 
sonorous tones would give the command : 

" Make ready — take aim " 

Then he would pause. In the pause some heedless and 
impatient gun would be sure to go off. Outwardly dis- 
gusted, but inwardly, I have no doubt, chuckling glee- 
fully, our sergeant would growl : 

" Vy don't you vinish aiming ? " 

Aimless Work. — That is a capital question for the 
Sunday-school teacher to ask himself, often and emphat- 
ically. So much of our Sunday-school work is aimless. 
We fire loud-voiced rounds, but the bullets have no 
billets. This chapter is to urge the establishment of goals, 
and to indicate what some of those goals should be. 

Every walker knows how much farther he can go, and 
how much more easily, when he is walking somewhither 
than when he is strolling aimlessly. Any worker knows 
how gloriously his labor is promoted by a division into 
stints. A chapter a day, for the writer, and the book 
gets done. A seam a day for the busy housewife, and 

34 



THE GOOD OF GOALS 35 

the dress gets readily made. One point a decade for the 
statesman, and his nation advances to an empire. Divi- 
sion of labor among workmen has accomplished miracles 
of progress, but equally important is division of a task 
for a single laborer. 

The Satisfaction of Accomplishment. — And not only is 
more work done when stints are measured off and goals 
set up, but the work is done with more zest. We are not 
stupefied by the leagues ahead, but the end of our pres- 
ent journey is only a few rods distant. The mountain 
has reduced itself to shovelfuls, the impossible has be- 
come feasible. We leap and dance, for our work has be- 
come play. 

And after we have reached the goal, though we know 
another goal is before us, what a pleasant sense of 
achievement ! Though what we have done is little, it is 
done, it is behind us, it is not to be done over again. If 
" nothing succeeds like success," it is also true that no 
spur to fresh endeavor is equal to past accomplish- 
ment. 

One reason why so little home study is done in prepa- 
ration for Sunday-school lessons is because teachers so 
seldom give their scholars definite objects for study. The 
pupils are set down in a labyrinth, and no clew is 
placed in their hands. They are willing, most of them ; 
but even where there is a will there is not always a way, 
or, at least, a visible one. 

Say to your class : " Next Sunday I want each of you 
to bring me a list of the twelve leading events in the life 
of Elisha, and put them as nearly as you can in chrono- 
logical order." Tell them where to read in Kings and 



36 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

Chronicles, and you will have the best lesson on Elisha 
you ever heard recited. 

Say to your class : " Next Sunday we have the par- 
able of the prodigal son. I want each of you to read it 
carefully, and write out and bring in a statement of the 
different lessons you think it teaches." Let them mark 
the parable in their Bibles, to make sure they can find it. 
Give them each a sheet of paper — a small sheet of paper 
— on which the teachings of the parable are to be writ- 
ten. You will be measurably sure of some thought on 
that lesson, and of a good recitation. 

Say to your class : " It's a temperance lesson next 
Sunday. I think that, with a little study, you can bring 
in complete lists of the Bible passages that teach temper- 
ance." Show them how to use concordance and Bible 
index, and tell them how fine it will be to finish one 
Bible subject, actually to master it. You will touch 
high-water mark in that temperance lesson. 

Thus for each lesson you will set up a different goal, a 
goal related to the very heart of the lesson, something 
definite to be aimed at in the studying, and a clearly 
marked road thither. There is no other way to get home 
study than this ; there is no other way to get clear, brisk 
recitations. 

A Goal for Each Quarter.— At the beginning of every 
quarter, as at the beginning of every week, a goal should 
be set up. It will link all the lessons together with a 
purposeful enthusiasm. It will make a rememberable 
whole of what would otherwise be thirteen haphazard 
pieces. 

Let it be a feasible goal, not so easy as to require no 



THE GOOD OF GOALS 37 

effort, nor so difficult as to stupefy effort. It must be 
ahead of the scholar, or it is no goal ; it must not be out 
of reach, or again it is no goal. 

For example, if you are studying the life of Christ, fix 
as a goal the ability to name all the recorded events in 
that life in chronological order. Few in the school, — 
young or old — can now do this. Perhaps none. But the 
task is well within the reach of all but the youngest. 

Or, if all the quarter's lessons lie within one book of 
the Bible, establish the purpose to give each chapter 
of the book a title appropriate to the contents, and com- 
mit these names to memory, with frequent drills in find- 
ing, by the use of that key, any subject that is treated in 
the book. 

Or, if the lessons deal with the kings of Israel and 
Judah, draw two parallel lines, and set up as your goal 
that the class shall become able to mark off upon those 
lines, in order, the reigns of the kings of the two king- 
doms, giving each its appropriate length and marking 
upon each the principal events in the history. 

If you are studying the Acts or the Epistles, aim in 
the same way to make an outline of events, inserting 
each Epistle in its proper place in Paul's life. 

The goal you set up will depend, of course, on the age 
and ability of your class, whether it shall be near or far 
away, and reached by an uphill road or a level. This, 
however, will be true of all classes : that the quarter's 
goal must be simple, definite, reachable, and touching all 
the lessons at their central points. 

So far as possible,.let the quarter's goals of all the 
classes be the same. Teachers and scholars can then 



38 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

compare notes and spur one another on. School tests of 
progress are possible, and pleasant emulation that is out 
of the question where the goals are heterogeneous. 

Definite Goals. — There is danger that in fixing on your 
goal you will not make it clear to your own mind, and 
therefore you cannot hope to make it clear to the minds 
of the children. Write down in black and white what 
the goal shall be. Write it out for your class as well as 
for yourself. Go to the goal yourself, before you an- 
nounce it, and examine every foot of the way thither, 
just as a surveyor makes what he calls a "preliminary 
reconnoissance " with pacing and pocket compass be- 
fore he goes over the ground with chain and theodo- 
lite. 

Graphic Presentations. — This definiteness which is the 
great gain of goals is distinctly enhanced by some graphic 
presentation of the object in view. For example, if you 
want the scholars to learn the events of Elijah's life, have 
them make outline maps of Palestine, extended from 
Zarephath to Sinai, and place figures 1, 2, 3, etc., at the 
points that are the scenes of the successive events. Fre- 
quent reviews, both with and without the maps, will fix 
them in the memory. 

Do not be afraid of tests, nor even of written examina- 
tions If the scholars have actually made definite prog- 
ress, they will be proudly eager to prove their gains. 
Sunday schools will not balk at written examinations 
when their work ceases to be chaotic and becomes syste- 
matic. 

Do not mistake a goal that you set up for yourself, 
and think it is necessarily therefore your scholars' goal. 



THE GOOD OF GOALS 39 

Do not rest till they have adopted it with their interest 
and desire. 

Yes, even after this has happened, the teacher must 
hold his class to their aim. Determinations easily flag. 
There are many other goals to confuse, outside the Sun- 
day school. The teacher must often be his scholars' per- 
sistence. Do not allow the goal to fall out of sight a 
single Sunday. Speak of it often. Advertise it ingeni- 
ously. Insist upon it. 

Especially, put into this goal-pursuit the zest of a game. 
Sometimes you can wisely introduce friendly contests, 
half the class against the other half. Sometimes you 
can wisely offer a suitable reward, one that can be gained 
by all who attain a certain standard of excellence. But 
whatever spur you use, manifestly enjoy the work your- 
self, and your scholars are quite certain to enjoy it with 
you. 

Cheer the young workers by noting the progress they 
make all along the way. Interest their parents in the 
endeavor the children are making, and get their help to- 
ward the goal. And when the end is reached, arrange 
some jubilee to signalize the achievement. Perhaps it 
will be formal exercises on review day, with essays, and 
with specially invited guests. Perhaps, if the goal has 
meant the construction of maps or diagrams or the like, 
it will be an exhibition of these where all the church may 
see. The superintendent will announce to the school 
what has been accomplished, The pastor may even re- 
joice over it in his sermon. 

Cumulative Goals. — The goals of successive quarters, 
thus bravely won, should, if possible, themselves be 



40 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

linked together. To this end a long look ahead must be 
taken, over the lessons of an entire year. Select such 
goals that the work may be cumulative. Fix on a suc- 
cession of goals of cognate interest — historical, biograph- 
ical, doctrinal — and thus bind the year's study into a unit. 
This is not always possible ; but it is a fine thing where 
it is possible. 

Goals for the School. — Thus far the scholars in their 
classes. But all I have said about the value of definite 
goals and the wise way of seeking them, applies equally 
well to the school as a whole. Whatever you wish the 
school to achieve, superintendent, break it up into small, 
precise tasks, and set them before the school as special 
aims for accomplishment within given times. 

These goals will be as diverse as the needs of the 
schools. Perhaps it will be an endeavor to persuade all 
to bring their Bibles to school. At the opening of every 
session, then, have all the Bibles in the school held up, 
while the class treasurers count them, and report their 
number when the collection is reported. Announce the 
number at the close of the school, with earnest comment 
on the increase or decrease. Keep a blackboard notice 
before the school, with figures on the point for a number 
of Sundays. Stick to your aim till you are sure that all 
the scholars have formed the habit of bringing their 
Bibles ; then celebrate your triumph, and set up a new 
goal. 

That new goal may be a one hundred per cent, en- 
largement of your school. Note the preciseness ; not an 
enlargement, but a one-hundred-per-cent. enlargement, or 
whatever definite increase seems feasible. Place a va- 



THE GOOD OF GOALS 41 

cant chair by the side of each scholar, and let it remain 
there until the scholar fills it with a recruit. Report 
every Sunday the number of chairs filled for the first 
time, and the number that remain to be filled. Draw on 
the blackboard one hundred squares, and fill them up 
with white or red as each chair is filled. And finally, 
when all are occupied, hold a jubilee ! 

Perhaps your goal is promptness. You may give each 
scholar a number, and number a series of badges arranged 
on a board with hooks, that is placed at the entrance. 
As each scholar enters he takes the badge bearing his 
number, and pins it on. But the badges are removed as 
soon as the school is opened, so that late comers wear 
no badge and are counted by the secretary. The badges 
are collected in baskets as the scholars pass out. This is 
continued till the happy month when, through all its 
weeks, every scholar has worn the badge. Then you 
celebrate your victory, and set up another goal. 

There are many more goals for which the entire school 
may strive, — that all may sing, that the contributions 
may reach a certain average, that the library books may 
be read to a certain extent, that a certain proportion of 
scholars may be reported as having studied the lesson at 
home at least an hour each week, that perfect order shall 
immediately follow the superintendent's lifting of his 
hand at the opening of the school, — ah, there are so 
many ways in which our schools may be improved, so 
many goals yet to reach ! 

Goals for Teachers and Officers. — Nor are these goals, 
so useful for the scholars, one whit less valuable for 
officers and teachers. That we will maintain a teachers, 



42 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

meeting this year, and always be present when possible 
— what a goal is that, crowned with what regal possi-* 
bilities ! That we will have regular cabinet meetings — 
meetings of pastor, superintendent, and officers — another 
magnificent goal. That every teacher will try to win 
for Christ this year every scholar of his class — the best 
goal of all. 

And, finally, there are certain goals of the inner life 
that must be set up in the heart of each man or woman 
who is seeking Sundaj^-school success. The goal of a 
perfect motive — that I will come to do this thing, not 
from a sense of duty nor with any selfish or half-selfish 
aim, but solely because I love Christ and love his chil- 
dren. The goal of preparation — that I will spend half 
an hour a day on my lesson. The goal of personality — 
that I will become a friend, an intimate, of each of my 
scholars. The goal of a wider vision — that I will attend 
so many Sunday-school conventions this year, read such 
and such books and teachers' helps. The goal of peda- 
gogy — that I will overcome this defect of manner, win 
this grace or skill of the perfect teacher. Yes, yes ; how 
goal adds itself to goal, a new one blessedly rising to 
view just as we reach the cynosure of past endeavor ! 

For it is the rule of the Christian life — this rule of goals. 
It governs all progress along all lines of Christian effort. 
Every goal is a golden milestone along the road to the 
New Jerusalem. Therefore, " forgetting the things that 
are behind, and reaching forward to the things that are 
before, let us press toward each goal, for the prize of the 
high calling of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 



CHAPTER VI 

WHAT TO DO WITH THE DISORDERLY SCHOLAR 

If the teacher has disorderly scholars in his class, the 
lesson is constantly perched on an active volcano. At 
any moment there may be an explosion, and the lesson 
will be torn to fragments or buried in debris. There is 
no assurance of either pleasure or profit in a class that is 
subject to disorder. Yes, and if there is disorder in your 
class, there is not much hope for the class next to you. 
If order is heaven's first law (as it is), it is certainly the 
first law of that heavenly thing, the Sunday school. 

Disorder is always a result, for which, somewhere, 
there is a cause. Don't doctor symptoms. Discover 
what is at the bottom of the disorder, and remedy that. 

The disorder may be due only to the overflowing 
vitality of the boys and girls. In that case, take a leaf 
from the secular schools and try a bit of calisthenics just 
before the lesson is taught. 

It may be due to bad air. Open the windows. 

It may all spring from some mischievous scholar. 
Quell him or expel him. 

It may be due (more than likely — saving your pres- 
ence — it is due) to unskilful teaching. Then learn your 
trade. 

The Start. — Certainly, with almost no exceptions, an 
interested class is an orderly one. Much depends upon 
the way you start out, and no part of the lesson deserves 

43 



44 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

such careful planning as the first three sentences. If 
you begin in a hesitant, apologetic, faint-hearted way, 
you have thrown up your case at the outset. If you 
begin with some surprising statement, or some brisk 
question, or with the holding up of some object or pic- 
ture, you will hook the most lively attention before it 
has time to wriggle out of the way. 

Much depends also on how you continue, after you 
have thus started out. Keep things moving. Moving 
objects hold the eye, and a lesson that progresses swiftly 
(if not too swiftly) holds the mind. By careful prepara- 
tion come to be at home in the lesson, so that you can 
range through it with easy freedom. Get a goal, and 
leap toward it. Your class will run eagerly alongside. 

Much depends also upon the expression of your face. 
A bright, quick eye, a mouth all ready to smile, a face 
mobile to every changing thought and responsive to 
every thought of the scholars, will attract and hold your 
class. A putty face, heavy and listless, will put them to 
sleep — or to mischief. 

And much depends upon the voice, — whether it is rasp- 
ing or flabby, or, perchance, is loving, cheery, and vibrant. 
On the whole, the right kind of voice is the teacher's 
most important exterior assistant. Some teachers can 
do more with a restless class by the one word "Now" 
(and any other word will do), than many teachers by a 
half hour's exhortation. 

Hand- Work. — Whatever qualities the teacher may pos- 
sess, however, she must count as her best ally in the 
preservation of order the scholars' own hands. Provide 
some work for them. Hand-work affords usually the 



WHAT TO DO WITH THE DISORDERLY SCHOLAR 45 

best avenue for instruction, as well as the best remedy 
for disorder. 

This hand- work will vary, of course, with the lesson. 
Sometimes it will be the copying of an outline map or 
the drawing of a map from memory. Sometimes it will 
be a diagram that is copied, or a tabular outline of the 
lesson. Sometimes the teacher will read slowly a list of 
questions that call for very brief answers, and the class 
will be busied writing the answers. Sometimes, if your 
scholars are old enough, they may be set to copying 
some outline picture of a simple object, such as an 
Oriental lamp. Sometimes they may be persuaded to 
write paraphrases of the lesson text, or statements of the 
lesson teachings. One exercise of this kind, calling for 
hand-work, I would introduce into every lesson, plan- 
ning for it long ahead. It will prove a sovereign 
remedy for disorder. 

Work at Home. — Sometimes it will be necessary to do 
personal work with some particularly irrepressible 
scholar. You must get into helpful and close relations 
with him. Go to his house. Invite him to tea at your 
house. Try raspberry jam as a lubricant. Never 
threaten him without carrying out your threat ; better, 
never threaten him at all. * Scolding disorder is like 
spreading mustard on a burn. Devise some occupation 
for the restless one. Many a shrewd teacher has taken 
the worst boy in his class and made him class sergeant 
to keep order ; and he has kept it. Such a scholar, too, 
is just the one to take up the class collection, keep the 
class records, clean the blackboard (if you luckily — or en- 
terprisingly — have one), and aid the teacher in drawing 



46 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

maps and making diagrams for her teaching opera- 
tions. 

Getting Help. — Rarely, and yet sometimes, the teacher 
will find it wise to get assistance in subduing the disor- 
derly scholar. If the other scholars can be trusted, 
quietly appeal to them to help maintain order and not to 
join iu any pranks that may be started. If the superin- 
tendent is a wise man, call in his aid. Perhaps a few 
sentences from him, with the boy apart, will end the 
whole struggle. If the parents are wise (that is, if they 
really look at their child with seeing eyes), tell them 
frankly about his misdemeanors, and secretly conspire 
with them to make him what he should be. 

For classes that are old enough to carry out the plan, 
try throwing upon them the responsibility of self-govern- 
ment. A class organization — constitution, president, 
committees, and all the rest — has a beautifully steady- 
ing influence. A committee on order, nominated and 
elected by the scholars themselves, will by that very proc- 
ess of election be rendered almost unnecessary. This 
plan is in harmony with the self-governing methods 
that have been found so useful in various secular 
schools. 

Finally, but most important of all, try to cultivate in 
your class a spirit of reverence for sacred places and holy 
themes. I know of no better way of doing this 
than by a brief prayer just before the lesson, all 
heads being bowed while the teacher asks the divine 
blessing upon the class and upon the truths that are to be 
studied. Nor would it be at all out of place for the 
teacher to pause, even in the middle of the lesson, at 



WHAT TO DO WITH THE DISORDERLY SCHOLAR 47 

some solemn and impressive point, and request the class 
to bow their heads in silent prayer, asking God to im- 
press the truth upon their minds and help them to carry 
it out in their lives. If the tone of the class is such that 
this moment of prayer would come naturally and easily, 
there need be no fear of disorder. 

The Superintendent's Responsibility. — Much of what I 
have said will apply equally well to the order of the en- 
tire school; and yet of course this requires a little 
different treatment from the class, and I must next ad- 
dress the superintendent. We must remember that dis- 
order breeds disorder. A school that is allowed to be dis- 
orderly at the opening will be disorderly when it sepa- 
rates into classes, and class disorder means a disorderly 
close, when the school comes together again. 

To get order in a school, one must begin before the 
school begins. With delightful zeal, the children are 
likely to be over-prompt. When the school, as in so 
many places, is held just after the morning service, the 
grown-ups are still in church, and those children thaj: did 
not go to church have the schoolroom to their riotous 
selves. No*matter where or when the school is held, 
some older person should be in the schoolroom half an 
hour before the opening. If I were the superintendent, I 
should want to be there myself, ready for consultation 
with any officer or teacher, and eager to take advantage 
of any chance of becoming acquainted with the scholars. 
If this at any time is difficult or inexpedient, I should ap- 
point some one else to this service, or perhaps a succes- 
sion of persons, each taking the task for a month. More- 
ever, the trouble may be greatly diminished by urging 



48 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

the children not to come so long beforehand, and the 
parents not to send them over-soon. 

Whoever superintends these early comers must have 
something provided to occupy their time. Mere forcible 
repression will only insure a postponement of disorder. 
Perhaps the best aid is a book full of pictures, each of 
which requires a little explanation. Or a collection of 
photographs from Bible lands may be used with fine 
effect. 

The second necessity, if one would have an orderly 
school, is that the school begin on time. I deprecate the 
use of a call-bell. It should be enough simply for the 
superintendent to step to the platform and raise his hand. 
If teachers and scholars are taught to watch for the 
signal and respond to it instantly with perfect order, the 
drill and the weekly obedience will prove one of the 
greatest gains that come from the entire work of the 
school. 

This initial quiet should have a well-understood pur- 
pose. What better than prayer, silent prayer with bowed 
heads for God's presence and blessing ? Print a brief 
form for it, and hang it before the school for the use of 
the younger scholars, and as a constant model for this 
unvoiced petition. At the close of this moment of silent 
prayer, without prelude except the sounding of the 
chord, let the school sing softly some stanza of a familiar 
hymn, which may be changed from month to month or 
from quarter to quarter. 

A regular and brisk order of service helps much to 
make an orderly school. Pack it full of things for the 
scholars to do. Leave little room for the superintendent, 



WHAT TO DO WITH THE DISORDERLY SCHOLAR 49 

secretary, or any other officer. The talking superintend- 
ent is a recognized Sunday-school peril. Let him talk up 
the school in private, and not talk it — down — in public. 
In Mr. Wanamaker's great school the young folks are 
kept constantly eager for their part. Now they must 
say, " Good-morning, Mr. Wanamaker." Now they must 
hold up their Bibles. Now they must sing. Now they 
must read in concert. The opening exercises are an ani- 
mated drill, and no one has time to grow fidgety. 

It is very necessary, if an order of exercises is to be 
carried out in an orderly way, that there should be 
no gaps in it, no pauses while the superintendent is 
finding his place in the Bible, or consulting with some 
other officer, or while the secretary is feeling in his 
pockets for some announcement he intends to read. Such 
gaps are like holes in a fence, through which a whole 
drove of mischiefs is likely to leap. If the superintend- 
ent, with a strong voice, a decisive air, and thorough 
preparation of all details, passes swiftly from point to 
point of his programme, he will sweep the school along 
with him in perfect and beautiful order. 

Locate the Trouble. — In spite, however, of all these 
precautions, some particularly unruly scholar or set of 
scholars may persist in disturbing the school. The 
trouble will radiate out, and first of all it will be neces- 
sary to locate its source, and deal with that especial class 
or scholar. Too often the mistake is made of scolding 
the entire school for what is really the fault of a very 
few, and the school speedily resents this injustice. 

The first step is always for the superintendent to speak 
to the teacher. It is his business to preserve order in his 



50 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

own precinct ; never take his work out of his hands 
till he has proved himself incompetent. Sometimes, in- 
stead of speaking to the one teacher, it will be sufficient 
to give an indirect hint through a general talk at the 
teachers' meeting on the subject of disorder, and the 
teachers' responsibility for it. 

Failing the teachers' effective action, the next step is 
for the superintendent to deal directly with the offending 
scholars; never by a public reprimand, which is more 
than likely to fix them in opposition to the rule of the 
school, but by private exhortation. 

If even this proves useless, the third step is a call upon 
the parents, a frank statement of the condition of affairs, 
the child himself being present, and a loving, manly ap- 
peal for their assistance in the matter. 

The last remedy, of course, is expulsion ; and I am per- 
suaded that, long before the need for that arises, the 
other remedies I have named will prove efficacious. 

Getting Authority.— The Sunday school may be made 
as orderly as the secular schools. It will not be as easy, 
because in the secular schools the teacher is backed up 
by legal authority. But authority may be obtained for 
the Sunday-school superintendent and teachers. It is to 
be won from the parents. Get them to visit the school 
often. Their presence will of itself transform many a 
turbulent scholar. Better, enlist them among the regu- 
lar members of the school. A disorderly scholar whose 
parents are interested and regular participants in the 
school work, is indeed a rare bird. As the parents come 
in touch with the needs of the school and understand the 
aims of the teachers, they will gradually become ready 



WHAT TO DO WITH THE DISORDERLY SCHOLAR 51 

and eager to back up the officers and teachers with what- 
ever authority they need to reprove, correct, and disci- 
pline. The parents w T ill be added to the superintendent's 
staff ; they will become his orderlies. 



CHAPTER VII 

IS THE GOLDEN TEXT WORTH WHILE? 

Yes, if it is used ; no, if it isn't. 

The golden text takes space in our lesson helps. It 
costs time and thought to select it. It means trouble 
and expense all along the line. I have a feeling that 
comparatively few teachers use it, and that only a few 
of those few use it in such a way that it amounts to any- 
thing. Now, if it is worth while, let us change all this ; 
and if it isn't worth while, let us frankly abolish it. 

It is worth while. 

In the first place, it is worth while to commit it to 
memory. I have just gone over the golden texts for the 
present year. Four out of the fifty-two, though for 
other reasons wisely chosen, are not sufficiently pointed 
outside their immediate application, and not worth com- 
mitting to memory ; they are merely fragments of narra- 
tive. The remaining forty-eight, however, are precisely 
the kind of verses we wish to store up in our minds and 
those of our children. There is far too little committing 
to memory of Scripture nowadays, and this use alone of 
the golden texts would warrant their selection. 

Especially would it be well to fix upon the mind the 
chapter and verse numbers. A little extra labor and 
pains will effect this, and the value of a scripture quota- 
tion is quite doubled if you can give its exact location. 
Many of the golden texts are chosen from distant parts 

52 



IS THE GOLDEN TEXT WORTH WHILE? 53 

of the Bible, and in considering them you have frequent 
opportunities to show the unity of the Book, and exhibit 
the beautiful interlocking of its parts. 

Review Them. — This use of the golden texts necessi- 
tates frequent reviews of them. The verses and their 
locations will speedily slip from your scholars' minds 
otherwise. A brisk review of the golden texts might be 
made the opening exercise in your class, and it would 
answer, in part at least, for that review of former les- 
sons which is so necessary if you would gain permanent 
results. 

Indeed, the golden texts of the quarter make an ad- 
mirable backbone for review day. Each text is usually 
the key to its lesson. The selection is sometimes open 
to criticism, but what isn't ? Certainly, though we might 
be better pleased with the set of golden texts that you 
and I might select, that satisfaction would not extend to 
the Sunday-school world. 

Use the texts, then, from week to week, keeping re- 
view day in mind. When that day comes, a good mode 
of utilizing them is to write them on cards, have the 
scholars draw them, and then let each scholar tell what 
he remembers about the lesson whose golden text he 
holds. If you intend to use this plan, announce it at 
the very beginning of the quarter, and urge your pupils, 
through all the three months, to work for the success of 
the little exercise. 

Unless in some such way as this the use of the golden 
text is planned for, you will probably not use it at all. 
But include it in your lesson scheme, and devise unhack- 
neyed ways of introducing it. 



54 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

In the David and Jonathan lesson, for instance, you 
have brought out the beautiful story, and you have con- 
cluded by showing how much liner even the noblest 
human friendship will be if it is knit together by Christ. 
Then you close by calling for the golden text : " There 
is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." 

Or, the lesson is Paul's shipwreck, and you begin by 
asking the class to repeat together the golden text : 
" Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he 
bringeth them out of their distresses." "Now that was 
written," you will say, "a thousand years before the 
event we are to study about to-day, but you will see how 
perfectly it describes what happened to Paul." 

Do not rest satisfied with one repetition of the text, 
though, in concert. Call for it from different scholars. 
Refer to it in many connections. Go back to it again 
and again. Whenever the thought is in your judgment 
the fundamental thought of the lesson, build up your 
teaching around it. 

Home-Made Cards. — One way to draw attention to the 
golden text is to assign it each week to a different 
scholar, making the assignment several weeks in advance, 
and having each text printed by the scholar on ja large 
card, to be hung before the class during the recitation. 
These cards may be printed in colors. It may even be 
possible to get the scholars to decorate them with draw- 
ings of flowers or of symbolic designs, or with pretty bits 
of color or more appropriate pictures cut from periodicals 
and pasted on. The children will enjoy doing this work, 
and they will be quite as deeply interested also in the 
efforts of the others. 



IS THE GOLDEN TEXT WOETH WHILE? 55 

This may be considered too elaborate a plan, but cer- 
tainly the scholars may be persuaded to bring to the 
class — all of them — the golden text written by them on 
slips of paper. The teacher will examine them, and give 
especial praise to the neatest and most accurate. 

This suggests the use of golden text cards as rewards 
for attendance, punctuality, and good lessons. If the 
teacher cannot afford to buy the published colored cards, 
she may make her own, and put into them a personality 
that the published cards, admirable as they are, neces- 
sarily lack. She may write them on prettily colored 
paper, those for each lesson on a new color. She may 
print them in fancy lettering. She may adorn them 
with colored designs, and with painted flowers. Now 
and then, she may write on the back a personal mes- 
sage, sent right into the heart life of some particular 
scholar. 

To many of these plans, a golden-text book is an appro- 
priate sequel. It consists of these cards, or slips of 
paper, or whatever you use, pasted on larger leaves, and 
finally bound together in neat little books. At the end 
of the year your golden-text books should be placed on 
exhibition, for all the school to enjoy, and imitate next 
year. 

In the Open Sessions. — And finally, how may we use 
the golden text in the open sessions of the school ? 
Whatever use is made of it should come at the close of 
the lesson hour, so as not to interfere w T ith the teachers' 
plans. Some superintendents have it beautifully printed 
upon the back of a blackboard, in ornamental lettering 
made with colored chalk, Any class whose members 



56 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

came to school able, every one of them, to write out the 
golden text, may delegate one of their number to go for- 
ward and turn this blackboard, exhibiting the design, at 
the same time repeating the text, which the school will 
immediately repeat in concert. Then the superintendent 
may tell a brief (a very brief) story illuminating the 
golden text, or he may have the school sing a golden-text 
song, some hymn chosen because it treats the theme of 
the text. 

Perhaps I have indicated with sufficient fulness some 
of the many ways in which the golden text may be used 
to add variety and interest to our Sabbath-school lessons. 
As you begin with the plans I have outlined, other plans 
will constantly suggest themselves. By the end of the 
year, through these wonderful condensations of truth, 
you will have fixed fifty-two miniatures of Bible events 
and lessons upon the gallery walls of your scholars' 
minds. Fifty-two Bible sentences, each freighted with 
the significance of a Bible incident or glorious passage — 
surely this, if anything in the world, is worth while. 



CHAPTER VIII 

THE TEACHER'S MATOEK 

There is the what — but there is also the how. Most 
teachers think of what they are to teach, but few think 
of how they will teach it. The one is no less important 
than the other. 

Indeed, teaching has this in common with all the other 
fine arts, that manner often overranks matter. The 
painter's choice of a subject is less important than the 
way he depicts it, so that men would rather possess a 
broken pitcher delineated by Raphael than a " Coliseum 
by Moonlight " after the manner of Sam Spatterpaint. 
And surely when the theme is the loftiest of all possible 
themes, as it is in our Sunday-school classes, there is 
double urgency to present it in a manner as attractive 
and as noble. 

Children are Imitators. — Moreover, let those teachers 
that are careless regarding their style of teaching con- 
sider how certainly, if they are at all successful in win- 
ning their scholars, the manners which they exhibit w T ill 
be reflected in those scholars' lives. Children are true 
Chinese in their certainty of imitation. It is even start- 
ling to note, in the scholars of a popular teacher, the 
identical gestures, intonations, phrases, and mannerisms 
used by their unconscious model. Listening the other 
day to a series of recitations by the class of Mrs. F. E. 

57 



58 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

Clark, that magnetic woman, the wife of the founder of 
Christian Endeavor societies, I could shut my eyes and 
scarcely persuade myself that it was not she herself who 
was speaking. 

Manners are the middlemen that carry the products of 
your heart and brain to the hungry markets of your 
scholars' lives. The old saying has it, " Manners maky th 
men " ; that is, a man's fortune depends on his manners. 
It might as truthfully be said, " Manners maky th — other 
men." The teacher that is careless in regard to his man- 
ner of teaching is like a farmer shoveling seed into the 
soil, anyway, anywhere, and to any depth, provided the 
seed gets in and gets covered up ; and the harvest is as 
scanty in the one case as in the other. 

Before I give my thought of what the teacher's man- 
ner should be, let me say what it should not be. Five 
negatives. 

i. It Should not be Flabby. — If the teacher evidently 
does " not care whether school keeps or not," one can 
hardly expect the scholars to entertain eager opinions on 
that subject. If the teacher appears bored, the class may 
well yawn. No matter how cleverly tuned your violin, 
you will draw no harmony from the instrument with a 
loose-screwed bow. 

2. It Should not be Apologetic. — " I haven't had time 
to study the lesson," u I'm afraid you all know more 
about the lesson than I do to-day," — such admissions are 
weak, unnecessary, and harmful. Do not advertise your 
delinquencies. Teach as well as you can, and apologize 
by a well-prepared lesson next week. 

3. It Should not be Fretted. — A worried countenance 



THE TEACHEK'S MANNER 59 

and anxious manners are poor arguments for Christianity 
and poor baits for your scholars' attention. 

4. It Should not be Fussy. — Some teachers remind me 
of those young mothers that frantically trot their babies 
up and down to still their cries, adding all of their own 
nervousness to the poor infant's abundant supply. Such 
teachers fumble their books and lesson leaves incessantly, 
fly from this scholar to that with snatches of restless in- 
quiry, bustle around the school-room for dashes of con- 
sultation with officers and teachers, and miss no oppor- 
tunity to create confusion. Their classes will be pande- 
moniums and their teaching will be hodge-podge. 

5. It Should not be Jack-in-the-Box-y. — Some teachers 
mistake jerkiness for energy, and explosiveness for point- 
edness. They fire off their questions like rockets. They 
dash off their explanations like a fire-engine in full career. 
They fling out their fingers in excited gestures. This is 
being animated, they think ; but it is only being nervous. 

The teacher's manner should be very different from all 
this. Perhaps its most important quality is confidence. 
Napoleon won his battles largely because he was so sub- 
limely sure that he would win them. A lion-tamer, or a 
child-tamer, is obeyed because he expects to be obeyed. 
If you can put into your pedagogic bearing the quiet as- 
surance of coming success, that success is half yours at 
the outset. 

An accompaniment of this characteristic is frankness, 
openness. A good teacher always looks his scholars 
straight in the eye. He talks in a cordial, free way, as 
if he were telling all his heart. He does not stammer, 
shift, falter, or act like an embarrassed school-boy. He 



60 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

puts his class at their ease by being himself at his ease. 
He wins their confidences by giving his own. He is not 
over-familiar, but he is a comrade. He is not trivial, but 
he is cheery. He is not a teacher ; he is a friend. 

And lastly, — for the chief excellencies of a teacher's 
manner are three, — he will observe the often-heard in- 
junction, and "look alive." Too many teachers look 
dead. The level tones of their drowsy voices proceed 
from bodies almost as immobile as statues. The true 
teacher will u look alive " as to his hands, with an occa- 
sional irresistible gesture. He will " look alive " as to 
his face, for face gestures are the most expressive of all. 
Chiefly, he will " look alive " as to his eyes, which will 
kindle with enthusiasm, melt with tenderness, and sparkle 
with fun. Life springs only from life, and lively looks 
are both the evidence of life in the speaker and the pro- 
vocative of life in the listener. 

How to Get the Right Manner.— Finally, having thus 
sketched my thought of the teacher's manner, as it should 
not be and as it should, let me suggest how the best man- 
ner of teaching may be obtained. 

In the first place, " know yourself." I would not have 
you become self-conscious ; but manners are to be judged 
by results, and if you are not getting the results of the 
best manner, it is necessary to see whether you do not 
lack the manner itself. For instance, if your class is 
stupid, consider whether you are brisk. If the class is 
restless, you may be nervous. If the class is careless, you 
may not appear sufficiently in earnest. Manners are the 
flowers of certain seeds. If you lack the flowers, plant 
the seeds. If, on the other hand, you are obtaining 



61 

already the results of a good manner, take no more 
thought about it. 

If I were a proverb-monger, I might say, " Every man 
his own manners," so essential is it that manners should 
spring from the real character of a man. "I must be 
myself," is generally the answer when defects of manner 
are pointed out ; to which the proper reply is, " Yes ; but 
you can change yourself." 

One of the best ways to get a good manner is to bor- 
row it from others. Such appropriation impoverishes 
nobody. Visit the classes of successful teachers. Watch 
those whom the children love. See what there is in their 
characters that is lacking from yours. Then try to re- 
produce it, within and without. 

One Point of Manners at a Time. — If you conclude that 
you are not vivacious enough, work for months at that 
fault, until it is remedied. Growth is easy, where revo- 
lution may be impossible. 

No one can teach in the best way without good health. 
A sound body goes far toward good cheer, and good 
cheer goes far toward mental alertness and sanity. I 
am quite sure, for example, that the efficiency of our 
Sunday schools would be vastly increased if all the 
teachers would take a brisk walk before entering on their 
duties. 

As to that confidence and zest in the work which is so 
necessary for success, it rests at bottom on thorough 
knowledge and full preparation. If you have a first-rate 
plan for the lesson, you will be eager to present it, and 
you will go before the class a master of the situation. 
Enjoy your work, and you will look as if you enjoyed it, 



62 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

Be interested in the class, and your eyes cannot lack lus- 
tre. Know the importance of your task, and your voice 
cannot lack earnestness. Pray before you teach and as 
you teach, and you cannot teach flippantly or heedlessly. 
Fear God, and you will not fear your class, or be embar- 
rassed before them. Become the kind of teacher you 
wish to appear, and your manner outside the class will 
not belie your manner before your scholars. In short, 
the only secret of manners is being ; and if you get a soul 
that is on fire for truth, if you become a lover of God 
and of all God's children, if you fashion as a receptacle 
for that love of truth, of man, and of God, the beautiful 
casket of a well-trained mind in a vigorous body, — if you 
do these things, your teaching will of necessity become 
ardent, courageous, and winsome, and many will be the 
jewels of your crown. 



CHAPTER IX 

A GOOD SUNDAY-SCHOOL PATCH 

The absence of a regular Sunday-school teacher makes 
a sad rent, there is no doubt about it. However excel- 
lent a substitute teacher may be, he is only a patch. It 
isn't pleasant to be patched, nor is it pleasant to be a 
patch ; but it can't be helped, and this chapter is to make 
the best of it. 

A Corps of Substitutes. — Of course, if yours is a model 
Sunday school, you hare business-like arrangements for 
this emergency. Your superintendent has enrolled a 
regular corps of possible substitutes, men and women 
who have agreed always to be ready to fill vacancies. 
The assistant superintendents have lists of these. The 
Sunday-school committee of the young people's society 
sometimes has the whole matter in charge. Sometimes 
this committee organizes a special class, whose members 
study each Sunday the lesson of the next week, in order 
to be ready for the substitute's post. The teachers 
should be taught that it is their duty to notify the proper 
official of their expected absence. All of these provi- 
sions will be made in a model Sunday school. 

But, alas ! few Sunday schools are models ; and even 
in the model schools, the best laid plans find themselves 
often defeated. Usually the substitute teacher is pressed 
into the service, not as part of a well-thought-out system, 

G3 



64 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

but at desperate haphazard ; and the question is, what 
shall he do ? I will try to answer that question. 

In the first place, be jolly about it. I would enlarge 
the proverb: Bis dat qui eito dat — et sua/oiter. You 
may be certain that the absent teacher has no good ex- 
cuse for absence, or that warning could have been given 
in time for ample preparation on the substitute's part, or 
that classes might just as well be put together (though 
you acknowledge that this process generally spoils both 
classes); and you may consider yourself a much-abused 
mortal in being asked to teach that class. But postpone 
such considerations. The superintendent probably isn't 
to blame, and certainly the waiting children are not. Is 
it your duty to teach that class ? If so, it is your duty 
to accept the duty pleasantly, and remedy the faulty 
conditions, if 3^011 can, afterward. 

Let us suppose that your conscience is in good working 
order, and that you consent to be a Sunday-school patch. 
At once several essentials of a good patch present them- 
selves for j 7 our imitation. 

Imprimis, a Good Patch is Never Conspicuous. — Mod- 
esty is the first grace of a substitute teacher. Indeed, 
the very word, " substitute," conveys a hint toward hu- 
mility, since it comes from two Latin words signifying 
to " stand under," to be subordinate. The substitute 
teacher must not be a red patch on a gray garment. His 
teaching must merge into the teaching that has gone be- 
fore and is to follow after — that is, it must do this as 
nearly as a different personality, working hastily and in 
the dark, can do it. Not wholly in the dark, however. 
You know the characteristics of the teacher whose place 



A GOOD SUNDAY-SCHOOL PATCH 65 

you are taking. Probably you know his methods. You 
can ask the class at the outset whether any plan had been 
set for the lesson. So far as you can, you will fit in • 
will make a chameleon of yourself, and adapt your color 
to your temporary abode. 

Then, in the second place, to return to our comparison, 
a patch must not draw. That was the point of the 
Saviour's parable about unshrunken cloth in an old gar- 
ment. You must not make it harder for the regular 
worker, but easier. You must not criticise him, even by 
the vaguest implication. Children are quick to see dis- 
paragement. If he is a dull teacher and you are a bril- 
liant one, it would be Christlike (is it too much to ask 
from human nature ?) if you would moderate your bril- 
liancy for the occasion. And if you can drop a word of 
hearty praise for the absent teacher, it will wonderfully 
smooth his pathway when he comes back. 

For a final point of comparison, a good patch must not 
be careless. No basting-stitches. No rough edges. No 
evidences of haste. Do you remember Grizel's works of 
art? (I hope you have read Barrie !) Take her marvel- 
ous patching as your Sunday-school model. 

Really, there is no reason why a Christian, fairly well 
equipped with Bible knowledge, should go before a class 
of boys and girls with shamefaced apologies, and with 
that trite phrase, " You must teach me to-day, chil- 
dren," which means a discount of fifty per cent, in the 
children's estimation. If you must be a patch, be a silk 
one ; not even a patch need lack distinction. 

You know you are likely to be summoned as a substi- 
tute teacher. You have already held that honorable post 



66 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PKOBLEMS 

perhaps a dozen times. Why not plan for it ? This may 
be your only chance at influencing those immortal souls. 
It is worth more thought than you can give it during 
your walk from your chair to theirs. Your only wise 
course is to be ready with a few general schemes, which 
will fit any lesson ; then you will have nothing to do but 
carry out one of them. 

Here are a few devices that will be found useful. 

1. Get the class to read the lesson text, verse about ; 
but before the reading ask one member of the class to 
watch for references to persons, another to pick out allu- 
sions to places, a third to make a mental list of events, a 
fourth to decide what is the principal teaching of the 
lesson, a fifth to do the same, a sixth to select the verse 
best worth committing to memory. Then go over these 
points, one at a time, using for your chief reference in each 
case the scholar to whom that topic has been assigned, 
but bringing in the rest of the class with a free conver- 
sation. Finally, review, changing the assignments about. 

2. Tear up a sheet of paper, making slips, on each of 
which you will write the number of one of the verses of 
the lesson. Have the class read the lesson text, and then 
let the scholars draw these slips at random. Each scholar 
is to be questioned on the verse whose number he draws, 
and the rest of the scholars are warned to listen care- 
fully, because, as they are told, after the lesson is once 
discussed in this way, the slips are to be mixed up and 
drawn again, and the same questions are to be asked 
once more, a record being kept this time of the number 
of questions each scholar answers correctly and the num- 
ber he misses. 



A GOOD SUNDAY-SCHOOL PATCH 67 

3. Read the lesson text, verse about. Then the class 
will question the teacher, each scholar asking questions 
on only one verse. After all the verses are discussed, 
the teacher takes his turn, and returns over the same 
ground, catechizing the scholars. 

The substitute teacher may safely launch out on any 
of these plans, only seeing to it that he does not use 
the same plan with the same class on two successive 
occasions. 

After his half-hour task is done, and the substitute 
teacher has substituted to the best of his extemporaneous 
ability, he may complete the graciousness of his patch 
by going to the regular teacher, reporting the way he 
taught the class and the points he tried to bring out, 
telling what forward glance, if any, they have cast over 
the coming lesson, and especially giving the teacher a 
word of cheer for himself and a little compliment for 
him to pass on to the class. That bit of conversation 
will be the fastening of the thread which will keep the 
patch from ripping out, and accredit you as a workman 
that needeth not to be ashamed. 



CHAPTER X 

WHAT TO DO WHEN THE ATTENDANCE WANES 

Perhaps there never has been much of an attendance 
to wane. In that case, what I shall prescribe for a 
waning attendance will fit just as well. But more often 
it is necessary to propose remedies for a falling off in 
Sunday-school interest, both of teachers and scholars, 
with the resultant dropping down of attendance, while 
the blues and the dismals settle upon officers and classes. 
Fortunate indeed is the school that knows nothing of 
such times. What is to be done in those emergencies ? 

Well, in the first place, there may not be much reason 
for discouragement. Know your field. You may be fill- 
ing it better than you think. Families may have moved 
away. The boys and girls may have gone off to school 
or to business elsewhere. Young married couples may 
be kept home by little children. The establishment of 
new churches and Sunday schools may have provided for 
part of your old constituency. Those who are not 
" present " may be u accounted for," and satisfactorily. 

But if, on the other hand, your old scholars have left 
the school and are still in town, able to attend school but 
attending none, and if besides there are in town many 
children and adults whom your Sunday school ought 
to reach and does not, then there is cause for alarm, for 
prompt investigation, and for the adoption of thorough 
remedies. 

68 



WHAT TO DO WHEN THE ATTENDANCE WANES 69 

Never Scold About the Attendance.— The people you 
will have a chance to scold are almost certainly not the 
people that are to blame. Even if they were, scolding 
does no good. There is a reason for the poor attendance. 
Discover it, frankly acknowledge it, and set to work 
manfully upon the cure of it. 

This Reason May be Poor Teaching. — The teachers 
may not know enough about the Bible to make attend- 
ance worth while, or they may not tell what they know 
brightly enough to make the school attractive. 

The sovereign remedy for this trouble is a teachers' 
meeting. You doubtless have tried it in your school ; all 
schools do try it ; but the leader was a poor one, or the 
good leader got tired or moved away, and the teachers' 
meeting died or is dying. Resurrect it. You can. 
Obtain the best available leader. Contrary to the com- 
mon impression, executive ability is more necessary here 
than teaching ability. Your best leader for a teachers' 
meeting is some one that can set others to Avork, and 
draw out the thoughts and plans of all for the benefit of 
all. Introduce outside aid in the way of occasional 
lectures before the teachers by specialists. Assign defi- 
nite parts in the teachers' meeting to as many teachers 
as possible. Never spend more than half the time of 
meeting upon the thing to be taught, and devote the 
of the time to discussing the best ways of teachin 
A good teachers' meeting is feasible everywhere, and 
a good teachers' meeting means full classes almost every 
time. 

The cause of the poor attendance may be a dull-looking 
school-room, that gives every one that enters it the blue 




70 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

shivers. The remedy, of course, is to brighten up the 
room. Paint is cheap, wall paper is cheaper, pictures are 
cheaper still, and flowers are cheapest of all. 

Perhaps your opening exercises are listless, monoto- 
nous, drawling, and stupid. That cannot help affecting 
the attendance unfavorably, because its depressing in- 
fluence extends over the whole Sunday-school hour. The 
obvious remedy is to put variety and sparkle into this 
beginning of the school, with special music, an orchestra, 
an occasional recitation, much singing, Bible-readings 
diversified continually, a picture shown now and then, or 
some object from Bible lands. Plan the opening. Plan 
different openings. Let the openings move swiftly, with 
no harangues, but with much for all to do. This change 
alone will add to the interest of the school more than you 
imagine. 

Perhaps your attendance is waning because the scholars 
themselves are not interested in filling the school and 
keeping it full. " The best advertisement," any business 
man will tell you, " is personal mention." If Mrs. Sat- 
terleeand Mrs. Sapperton and Mrs. Schermerhorn will tell 
their next-door neighbors how very cheap and good are 
Wilkins & Wallace's towels, that enterprising firm may 
safely dispense with expensive newspaper announce- 
ments. There is no better way to promote the growth 
of your Sunday school than to set Charlie Faunce and 
Flossy Colgrove to telling Tom Lemons and Susie Bald- 
win what perfectly splendid times they have there. 

There are several good ways of interesting the schol- 
ars in the work of bringing in new members. One 
method is to divide the scholars into companies of five, 



WHAT TO DO WHEN THE ATTENDANCE WANES 71 

each five being made up from one class so far as possi- 
ble; then let the fives see how soon they can increase 
themselves to tens, by adding new scholars to their own 
class or any other. Announce the fact from Sunday to 
Sunday as each ten is completed. 

Another method is to start a contest, seeing which 
class, in proportion to its initial numbers, can, within a 
given time, increase its size the most. Prizes may add 
to the interest of the contest, if it is thought wise, and 
some schools are in the habit of presenting a reward to 
each scholar who brings another to the school, the re- 
ward being given after the new scholar has attended a 
certain number of weeks. 

The young people's society may be enlisted in this 
work. Most of these societies have Sunday-school com- 
mittees, formed for the express purpose of aiding the 
school in every way ; and of course the promotion of 
good attendance is one of their chief aims. In many 
localities the young people's societies have carried on a 
systematic, house-to-house canvass of the town for new 
scholars ; and if they do not do it, the school officers 
could easily organize such a canvass on their own account. 
Where the young people do this work, some of the older 
members of the school should be deputed to oversee it, 
that their experienced wisdom may guide the young 
folks' energy and zeal. 

A permanent plan for recruiting should be part of the 
machinery of the school. I know of nothing abetter than 
to appoint in each class a membership committee, with a 
chairman, who makes weekly reports to the class. It 
would be best to have the class itself elect this committee 



72 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

once a year. " Does any scholar know of any one who 
should be a member of this class ? " This question 
should be asked every Sunday by every teacher. It is a 
great mistake to throw upon the teacher the responsi- 
bility for maintaining the attendance and increasing it. 
Talk about the interest and value of the class will come 
with far more grace from the scholars than from the 
teacher, and will be far more effective. 

A similar committee may be appointed, once a year or 
once a quarter, from the entire school. It might be 
called a " scout committee," or an " invitation commit- 
tee," and its duty should be to watch the Sunday con- 
gregations and invite all the strangers to come to the 
school ; offering to accompany them, if the school is held 
after the morning service. 

The Pulpit Announcement. — The work of such a com- 
mittee will be strongly aided by a hearty, attractive an- 
nouncement of the Sunday school from the pulpit, — not 
one of these perfunctory notices : " Sunday school at 
the conclusion of this service, and all are cordially in- 
vited to attend," but a few sentences into which some 
original emotion is evidently put, such as this announce- 
ment : " You don't know what you are missing if you 
are not attending our Sunday school. Last Sunday, for 
instance, I dropped into Professor Thomas's class, and I 
heard the most illuminating discussion of the parable of 
the talents I have ever listened to. Just step into the 
vestry at the end of this service, and try it for an hour." 

There are many other methods by which the pastor 
may promote Sunday-school attendance. One of the 
best of these is by taking the Sunday-school topic now 



WHAT TO DO WHEN THE ATTENDANCE WANES 73 

and then for the theme of his sermon — not the whole 
lesson, so that he will exhaust it, but one small corner of 
it, with references to the larger subject which is to be 
treated fully in the Sunday-school classes. It is often 
very helpful also to hold a series of prayer meetings, 
whose topics are those of the following Sunday-school 
lessons. 

Home Department Help.— A first-class ally of the 
school in this matter of attendance is the home depart- 
ment. No Sunday school should try to get along with- 
out such a department, and this is only one of its ad- 
vantages. A well organized home department, with its 
score or more of zealous visitors, watching for every op- 
portunity to transform the home student into the regular 
attendant on the classes, will bring dozens of new schol- 
ars into the school every year, and bring them in under 
the best auguries for their permanent stay. 

A Matter of Age. — A step quite necessary to take, if 
you would build up the membership of your school, is to 
consider what ages are not well represented there, and 
so plan your campaign with special reference to the lacks 
you may discover. Is it adults you chiefly need ? Are 
you weak in the matter of young married people ? Is 
there a falling off among the boys when they get to 
their middle teens ? One of these deficiencies is quite 
sure to be discovered; very likely all of them, with 
others. 

The best remedy is to set to work those of the par- 
ticular age or ages whom you already have in the school. 
Get the boys to bring in the boys, the young couples to 
seek out other young couples, set the primary depart- 



74 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

raent and the adult department to enlarging themselves. 
There is no leader for a boy of twelve quite equal to an- 
other boy of twelve: 

Social Classes. — After you have studied into the mat- 
ter of ages, continue the process a little and see what 
social classes are represented in your school and what are 
not. How about the servant girls ? Are the business 
men there, the merchants and their clerks ? Are the 
students conspicuous by their absence ? Yours is a rail- 
road town ; what is your Sunday school doing for the 
railroad men ? 

For many of these, perhaps for all of them, your only 
chance of interesting them in the school is by the estab- 
lishing of special classes, led by teachers peculiarly 
adapted to the constituency you are seeking to reach. 
A wide-awake Christian manufacturer may be persuaded 
to organize in the school a class for business men, young 
and old. Some college professor may gather around him 
the young collegians and the school teachers. Some 
wise and loving woman may draw together a class of 
servant girls. 

The necessities of the case will sometimes require these 
special classes to be held at other times than the regular 
Sunday-school hour. Servant girls' classes, for example, 
are generally held in the afternoon. A railroad men's 
class must be held whenever the most of the men are at 
leisure. You must enlarge your idea of the Bible school 
until it becomes a sort of Bible university. 

Many a Sunday school has been greatly enlarged and 
its interest magnificently quickened by a means that 
seems at first rather to rival the school than to aid it, — 



WHAT TO DO WHEN THE ATTENDANCE WANES 75 

an outside Bible-study class, taking up a course alto- 
gether independent of the International Lessons. If you 
can find an inspiring teacher to give such a course, — 
everything depends upon the teacher, — and if you can 
bring together in the class your teachers, the older schol- 
ars, and those of the congregation that should be in the 
Sunday school but are not, it will be an easy thing, after 
the course is completed, to divert to the school the fresh 
interest that will certainly be aroused. The result will 
be a large ingathering of new scholars. 

A course of lectures on Biblical topics — again if the 
lecturer is an inspiring one — will prove almost as useful 
as the large Bible-study class in promoting zeal for the 
Sunday school. Useful, also, is any pleasant entertain- 
ment under Sunday-school auspices — a concert, a stere- 
opticon lecture, a picnic, a novel form of sociable. 
Draw people together and set them to talking under the 
leadership of the school, and they will inevitably talk 
more or less about the school, and be drawn to it more or 
less. 

Any special feature you can introduce into the school 
routine will serve as additional basis for that advertise- 
ment which is quite as necessary for the King's business 
as for secular commerce. Now it will be some unusually 
good music. Now it will be a set of bright chalk talks. 
Now it will be a newly installed stereopticon (for these 
instruments may be made quite as serviceable by day- 
light as by night, and the use of them adds wonderfully 
to the interest). Now it will be some object lesson in- 
troductory to the theme of the hour. Now it will be a 
series of five minute drills on Bible geography or Bible 



76 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

history, briskly conducted with maps and charts. Any 
plan of this sort, carried on with zest, will show enter- 
prise, and demonstrate that the school is a live institu- 
tion, worth the attendance of live people. 

In country districts, and sometimes even in cities, 
a Sunday-school omnibus is quite essential if you would 
maintain attendance at the highest point. I say an om- 
nibus, but of course I mean any roomy vehicle, which 
will gather up all, both old and young, who could not 
otherwise get to the school. The especial advantage of 
this is manifest, of course, on stormy clays. 

It is for these stormy days that we need to plan most 
carefully, since the habit of going to Sunday school is so 
easily broken ; even a single lapse may break it. Strive 
in every way to impress upon the teachers the especial 
need of their presence on such days. Some preachers 
make it a point to preach their best sermons on rainy 
Sundays. In the same wise fashion, devise all the 
pleasant plans you can for stormy Sabbaths, — some jolly 
surprise, which the scholars that are there will talk about 
with their mates, and say : " Don't you wish you hadn't 
stayed at home for the rain ? " 

Though, as I have said, " the best advertisement is 
personal mention," yet the Sunday school may well take 
a leaf from the tradesmen's book, and make a liberal 
use of printer's ink. Set at the task the most skilful 
writer in the school, some one with a genius for attract- 
ive ways of putting things, some one who knows also 
how to display his thoughts in a neat and taking arrange- 
ment of type. A few dollars every quarter spent for 
advertising circulars would be quite as well spent as for 



WHAT TO DO WHEN THE ATTENDANCE WANES 77 

missions ; indeed, it would mean many more dollars for 
missions in the end. 

In addition, try personally written postal cards and 
letters of invitation. S3^stematize the work. Almost 
any member of the school will be willing to write one 
such letter a month. As you obtain the names of those 
that should be in the school, distribute them around, and 
make sure that each receives the stimulating written in- 
vitation. By the time a person gets the invitation 
in all these ways, — by word of mouth, by circular, 
by pulpit notice, and by letter, — he will begin to think 
seriously of accepting it, in self-defence ! 

Much depends upon how the attendance is reported 
to the school each Sunday. Individual attendance rec- 
ords will be kept, of course, by the secretary of each 
class, and full recognition should be given to individuals 
who are faithful as well as to classes. Once a quarter is 
none too often for the school secretary to read the names 
of all who have been present every Sabbath. 

In making the weekly report, let the secretary study 
variety, and seek in every way to draw attention to his 
figures and their meaning. Sometimes — perhaps al- 
ways — the record should be a graphic one. Place a 
large placard before the school at the end of the session, 
reading, in bold characters easily deciphered across the 

room : " Attendance : last Sunday, ; this Sunda} 7 , 

." Arrange it so that you can readily slip in the 

proper digits. 

Often, however, the emphasis of the voice must be 
added. This may be merely by way of a cheery com- 
ment, such as : " See how we are growing ! "We'll soon 



78 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

have to move outdoors to get room enough ! " or 
" Twenty more than last Sunday! That means that 
about twenty of you told your friends what a good time 
we have here, and got them to come with you." If the 
attendance is less than last Sunday, let the superintend- 
ent and secretary stand up and point to the placard, and 
simultaneously say just "Oh!" If you are seeking to 
develop some particular department, the secretary should 
give a vocal report concerning it every Sabbath, such as : 
"Our adult department is coming up; thirty-five this 
Sunday ; that's a gain of ten in two weeks." 

And now, after these suggestions for the increase of 
the attendance, I want to set off against them a needed 
warning. It is very easy to exalt Attendance upon the 
throne where the Bible alone should rest in your Sunday 
school, and that is a fatal error. To be sure, there is no 
use in wise teaching unless you have scholars to teach ; 
but also, there is no use in having a room full of scholars 
unless you have wise teaching. Where the Bible is 
made vital in human lives, very slight effort will draw 
the crowds to it ; where the fundamental purpose of the 
Sunday school is forgotten or relegated to the back- 
ground, no amount of modern advertising will hold the 
crowds that the advertising will gather. " And I, if I 
be lifted up," still declares our Saviour, u will draw all 
men unto myself." 



CHAPTER XI 

THE BOY OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL 

Doubtless for every girl whom a teacher is perplexed 
to win, there are a dozen boys. Therefore I will write 
about "the boy" rather than "the girl "in his out-of- 
school relations, though all that I shall say will be quite 
as applicable to the girl as to her brother. 

I am convinced that the place to win the boy is out- 
side the Sunday school. Most teachers seem to look 
upon their work as precisely analogous to fishing, the 
school-room being the pool to which the boy-trout re- 
sorts, and there alone they may cast their flies with any 
prospect of success. Teaching is more like hunting. 
You must go forth adventurously and range the wood- 
land. You must seek your game in their native lairs. 
Their haunts are many, and wide apart. You cannot 
sit still and bid them come to you ; and if you corral 
them and shoot at them en masse, that is sheer butchery ! 

A teacher's work is well-nigh a failure, then, if it is 
confined to the paltry hour of the Sunday school. You 
must win the boy on ground that is natural to him. But 
what ground is natural to him ? To give a few practical 
suggestions in answer to that question is the purpose of 
this chapter. 

Boys' Clubs. — It has become quite the fashion to ad- 
vise the organization of boys' clubs, if religious workers 
wish to get hold of those tricksy spirits. Now there is 

79 



80 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PEOBLEMS 

no doubt that boys love a club, though I fear they enjoy 
the most preposterous club of their own contrivance far 
more than the finest arrangement craftily impressed 
upon them from the outside, though it be psychologically 
perfect in all its details, and modeled upon the ideas of 
the professor of pedagogy who has written the latest 
book. But really, with public-school teachers and Sun- 
day-school teachers and pastors and Christian Endeavor 
workers and parents and friends and philosophical in- 
vestigators of " the boy problem " all forming boy clubs, 
Johnny is in a fair way to be clubbed to death. Do not 
form a boys' club, therefore, in connection with your 
class, if that side of the boy -nature is already satisfied 
with such an organization. Try some other plan. 

Various Kinds of Clubs. — However, if the way is clear, 
a boys' club is certainly a good method. What sort of 
club ? Boys are interested in many things, they are 
blessedly ready to be interested in nearly everything; 
therefore you have chiefly to ask what you know most 
about, like best, and can best do. 

Are you a walking enthusiast ? Then a walking club, 
— "The Peripatetics," perhaps, — with Saturday tramps 
to this and that object of local interest, with tests of 
speed and endurance, and with a fine infusion of John 
Burroughs and Bradford Torrey, will be the organization 
you are most likely to make succeed. 

Are 3 r ou learned in history ? Then an indoor coterie, 
" The Explorers," will find the fascination of MacMaster 
and Macaulay, of Motley and Green. Whatever traces 
of the past are found in your neighborhood, also, will 
draw your club into the open. 



THE BOY OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL 81 

Is chess your hobby ? Then establish a " Pillsbury 
Partnership," inaugurate a furore of gambits and prob- 
lems, and hold a tournament every fortnight. And it 
might as well be checkers, or tennis, or crokinole. 

If you can mount the class on bicycles, organize your- 
selves into " The Hotspurs," with meets, and century 
runs, and club colors, and mysterious bugle calls, and a 
range over the entire county. 

What delightful possibilities for you and the boys lie 
ensconced in a natural history club, the " Eye- Eyes " 
("Indefatigable Investigators")! And that, whether 
you take for your province snails or stars, birds or butter- 
flies, fossils or flowers ! A museum. Scientific " papers." 
Exhibition days. Long rambles over hill and dale. 

A travel club (R. R. — the Royal Rangers !) will minis- 
ter to the boys' love of adventure. Rightly chosen books, 
together with a selection of the photographs of foreign 
scenes now so plentiful, excellent, and inexpensive, joined 
with essays and readings, and talks from the many — and 
nowadays they are many, at every crossroads — who have 
actually " been there," — is not that a promising prospec- 
tus ? 

Then, there are possibilities of an art club (with the aid 
of photographs and half-tone prints), a puzzle club (" The 
Brain-Twisters "), a scrap-book club (" The Clippers "), — 
indeed, you can attach the club idea to any of your in- 
terests, with fair prospects of making it an absorbing in- 
terest with the boys. 

Club Mysteries. — One of the chief advantages of the 
club is its opportunity for the mysteriousness in which 
boys greatly delight. You can give it an odd name, 



82 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

known to the uninitiated only by cabalistic letters. You 
can have a badge or a button, a system of pass-words 
and hidden tokens, and even a secret language, made in- 
comprehensible by such easy devices as the addition of 
" ibus " " ery " and " atic " to ever}^ word, and the substi- 
tution of " hat " for " and," and " cob " for " the." 

But if the club is overworked in your neighborhood, 
you can use the same ideas in other forms. It is not 
necessary to form a Philately Phellowship in order to 
utilize in your boy-winning those alluring bits of gummed 
paper. You can simply constitute your sitting-room a 
stamp exchange, and gather the boys there occasionally 
with their albums. You need not establish an athletic 
club in order to conduct a " field day," in which the boys 
of }^our class, acting as marshals, will set up the lists in 
running, leaping, vaulting, throwing, wrestling, with all 
the boys in town. An evening of puzzles at your house 
may be better than a puzzle club, and an hour or two 
with your microscope may answer in lieu of the " Eye- 
Eyes." 

I am not urging the teacher to press into all their boy 
lives, obtruding himself upon every sport and making 
himself the monitor of every interest. I am only insist- 
ing that he should enter enough of their lives to know 
them thoroughly, and get into vital touch with them. 
That being accomplished, in whatever fashion, his work 
with the boy outside the school is done. 

"How Shall I Begin?" is the question sure to be 
asked by those who enjoy none of this contact with 
their scholars. 

Begin gradually. The boy is a shy animal, not to be 



THE BOY OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL 83 

caught by a sudden leap. Perhaps an evening at your 
house is the best way, with good things to eat (the boy 
demonstrates the Chinese notion that the seat of the 
affections is the stomach !) and with the merriest of 
games. This may grow into a regular series of class 
socials, held once a month, sometimes at the home of the 
teacher, sometimes at the homes of the scholars. Later, 
the class may even venture upon corporate hospitality, 
and invite some other class to an evening's fun. 

A series of class excursions is another mode of ap- 
proach to boys that has proved its value. Take them to 
the menagerie, having previously armed yourself with a 
budget of animal anecdotes. Visit the art gallery with 
them, the museum, and the public library. Take them 
to the court house and the city hall. Be their chaperon 
at some interesting session of the legislature, the city 
council, the board of aldermen, or the school committee. 
Keep on the lookout for bright lectures to which you 
may escort them. Go with them to a college, and show 
them its ways of working. Pilot them through a fire-en- 
gine house, a police station, a glass factory, a tannery, a 
flour mill. In the summer, conduct a grand outing, and 
" tent it " with them for a week. Kot all of these charm- 
ing excursions will be open to you, but many of them 
will, and you can easily devise substitutes for those you 
must omit. It is impossible to measure the good you 
may accomplish through these excursions with your class. 
They will be worth, in character-building and for eter- 
nity, all the money and time they will cost, and a thou- 
sand times more. 

Little Attentions. — But along with these more elaborate 



84 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

plans, there are many little attentions you can show the 
boys that will count, often, for as much as the exten- 
sive schemes. A jolly word when you pass them on 
the street. Friendly letters written to them when you 
or they, are out of town. Kindly messages and visits 
and little presents when they are sick. An invitation, 
now to this boy and now to that, to take a meal at your 
house, spend the evening, or pass the night. A little care 
in guiding their reading, with the recommendation of 
" splendid " books in the public library or the loan of 
equally " splendid " books from your own collection. 
One evening in the week regularly set apart as theirs, an 
evening in which you are " at home " to them and to 
them alone. One room in your house dedicated as class 
headquarters, and used for that purpose only and fully. 
A circular letter, to be passed from one to another, in 
a prescribed order. A cumulative letter, to be passed in 
like manner, but each member of the class to add a brief 
note as it comes to him. A class paper (if any scholar has 
a printing press or a duplicating contrivance) with its 
proper corps of editors and its important list of subscrib- 
ers. All of these ways of winning the boys are feasi- 
ble for some teachers, and some of them are feasible for 
all teachers. 

There is no need of emphasizing the necessity of see- 
ing them often in their own homes, knowing their 
parents, their surroundings, their helps and hindrances 
in this place where helps and hindrances are most pow- 
erful. This duty is quite generally recognized. Would 
that it were heeded as generally. 

In all of this familiar intercourse with the boys, where 



THE BOY OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL 85 

does religion come in ? It comes in everywhere, under, 
neath, though it may come in nowhere on the surface. 
It is impossible to enter into any pleasant, helpful rela- 
tion with your scholars out of school that w r ill not 
strengthen your influence in school, confirm your teach- 
ing and inspire their studying. 

The essentials are, first, to know the boy. You can- 
not teach any one until you know him. Second, to love 
the boy. You cannot know any one until you love him. 
Third, to get the boy to know you and love you, without 
which also he cannot be taught by you. Don't pretend. 
Don't " let yourself down" to them. Don't think that 
you must act like a boy in order to win a boy. Be sin- 
cere and manly and downright. Be jolly and sympa- 
thetic and alert. In becoming their comrade never cease 
to become their leader. 

And in it all, estimate very lightly what you are doing 
for them compared with what they are doing for you. 



CHAPTER XII 

THOSE NOTICES 

The giving of notices is a Sunday-school necessity. 
Some schools minimize the notices, others revel in them, 
but all must endure them. 

The Value of Notices. — And they are by no means 
an unmixed evil. Rightly managed, they may quicken 
attention and agreeably diversify the exercises. They 
introduce the scholars to new and helpful interests. 
They serve as a sort of table of contents of Christian 
work. 

They may be all this, but they seldom are. Usually, 
they are hindrances and nuisances. Usually, the hack- 
neyed introduction, "Listen to the following notices," is 
a signal for confusion or apathy. The superintendent 
stumbles over unfamiliar chirography. He drones and 
mumbles. He rambles through long and unessential 
particulars. He repeats, and repeats, and repeats. He 
faithfully rehearses whatever stupidity is handed him. 
Thus, for instance : — 

"The twenty-first annual convention of the Sunday- 
school Association of Caldwell County will meet at 
Urbana on Thursday, December 6. Interesting ad- 
dresses are expected from the Rev. Dr. Augustus B. 
Brownlow r and Prof. James L. Guinness. A full attend- 
ance is desired. All are urgently invited to be present. 
Per order committee, John Smith, chairman." 

86 



THOSE NOTICES 87 

Great good will that do ! 

Brisk Notices. — How much more likely would the 
teachers be to attend that convention if the superin- 
tendent should say : — 

" I have made up my mind to go to Urbana next 
Thursday. I really can't afford to miss our county 
Sunday-school convention. Dr. Brownlow is to speak, — 
the most helpful Bible student within a hundred miles, 
— and Professor Guinness, — the man w r ho carries on that 
splendid class of working men over in Shelbyville, you 
know. I hope that many of our teachers will be able to 
share this treat." 

Maybe it is a teachers' meeting : — 

"I desire to give notice that the regular teachers' 
meeting will be held this week on Tuesday evening at 
the usual time, 7.30 p. m. It will be held at the usual 
place, in- the parsonage. A very full attendance is de- 
sired, as the meeting is to be addressed by Mrs. Randall, 
who will discuss the geography of Palestine. Don't for- 
get, the parsonage, and 7.30 p. m., sharp. I hope all the 
teachers will be present. Let every one come. The at- 
tendance at our teachers' meetings has fallen off lately. 
Now I hope that every teacher in this school will be at 
the parsonage next Tuesday evening, at 7.30 sharp. It 
is very desirable to have a full attendance. Very. The 
parsonage, 7.30, Tuesday evening, remember. Let all 



come." 



That is a very naked hook, and it would be a 
hungry fish that would bite. "Why such insistence on 
the familiar details, the " usual" time and place, and 
the desirability of attendance ? Never mind the desir- 



88 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

ability; what is needed is to arouse desire. Thus, 
perhaps : — 

"You all know that Mrs. Eandall has just got back 
from the Holy Land. I was at her house the other 
evening, and she showed me a lot of interesting things, 
and told me a lot of interesting facts. She can make 
one almost believe he has been to Jerusalem himself, 
and Bethlehem and Nazareth, and all the precious places. 
Now she is going to speak at the teachers' meeting on 
Tuesday evening, and I don't believe the parsonage will 
begin to hold all that want to hear her. The teachers 
would better go early." 

From these illustrations several points will be evi- 
dent : — 

Notices should not be read, but given in the superin- 
tendent's own words, in a brisk, conversational style. 
The more of himself the superintendent puts into the 
notice, the more of his hearers is he likely to grip. 

At the same time, for the sake of accuracy, the super- 
intendent should have the notice before him in writing; 
and if he is to give several notices, they should be pinned 
or pasted together, to avoid confusion and quicken the 
operation. 

The tedious insistence on non-essentials is the great 
flaw in most giving of notices. Pick out what is impor- 
tant to be known, and let the rest go. 

On the other hand, a notice must be full enough to 
leave an impression of facts, and not flash like a meteor's 
path, that instantly melts into the sky. 

The value of a notice is quite doubled if you can say 
" I " all through it. Personality counts. If you have 



THOSE NOTICES 89 

heard the lecturer whose course you are announcing, and 
like him, say so. If you are going to a meeting you are 
advertising and anticipate pleasure, put that in. And if 
you cannot incorporate your own personality, perhaps 
you can attach to the notice the personality of some one 
else. 

A bit of fun is invaluable, if you would have the notice 
remembered ; only, join the joke so closely to the an- 
nouncement that the two are inseparable, or the comi- 
cality will be certain to fly away with your hearers' 
attention, and leave far out of sight the facts to be 
remembered. 

In fine, the notices require preparation, often as careful 
preparation as any other feature of the Sunday-school 
hour. Usually, important interests depend upon them 
for their success, and it is a shameful neglect of " our 
Father's business " to present them in a slovenly and 
ineffective manner. Here, as everywhere else, profit 
springs from preparation. 

I would even go so far as to write out different ways 
of making important notices and study them, so as to 
select the most attractive phrases. Of course, this is 
only for practice, and not with any view to reading a 
written notice before the school. 

Much depends upon the voice you use. Let it be loud, 
but not harsh ; decisive, but not jerky ; pleasant, but not 
undignified. 

Much depends on the time you select. Do not choose 
a moment of restlessness and confusion, or a time when 
the school is attending to something else, — finding a 
hymn, perhaps, or making an offering. If the notices 



90 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

are worth giving at all, they are worth a whole hearing 
and not a divided one. 

The best time for the notices is early in the session, 
perhaps following the prayer. Some particulars of lead- 
ing moment, however, may need to be repeated at the 
close of the hour, in order to clinch them upon the 
memory. 

Some notices may best be given upon the blackboard, 
without a spoken word. If you try the plan, make sure 
that every letter is easily read from the remotest corner 
of the room. A unique effect may be gained from a 
brightly worded announcement, prettily printed with 
colored chalk, put in place by the superintendent, and 
pointed to in absolute silence. 

A little drawing adds much to such advertisements, 
and even very indifferent talents shine under the gener- 
ous indistinctness of crayon. For example, if you want 
to announce a Christmas concert, draw a Christmas tree 
and color it green, with yellow-flashing candles and 
bright red bundles. If it is a harvest festival you are 
proclaiming, depict an ear of golden corn. If it is an 
Easter exercise, draw an egg. 

Large sheets of paper, even the cheap manila wrapping- 
paper, make excellent substitutes for the blackboard, if 
you lack that most useful and easily obtained Sunday- 
school aid. A bulletin board at the entrance may give 
out most of your notices for you, or at least impress 
them more deeply on the mind. Little slips of paper, 
on which the notice has been printed by one of the many 
inexpensive manifolding devices, may be placed in the 
hands of every one; and if the trouble is warranted, 



THOSE NOTICES 91 

no better mode of Sunday-school advertising could be 
devised. 

The Extra Notices. — All that has been said applies, 
also, of course, to the many recurring notifications that 
can scarcely be called notices in any formal sense. 

For instance, the school has sent a gift to some mis- 
sionary, and a letter of thanks has been received. How 
tiresome to read the letter in toto, from the date line at 
the beginning, through all the pleasant but often incon. 
sequential particulars, to the signature at the close ! Let 
the superintendent fix in his mind the brightest points of 
the letter, and talk it off : — 

" You remember that ten dollars we sent Mr. Saunders, 
out in Idaho ? He has written me a letter, and you can't 
guess how much good that money has done. Why, it 
has bought the baby some new socks, and Jimmy Saun- 
ders a new pair of mittens, and mended a hole in the 
roof, and — " so you go on, while every mind is attentive. 
If you had read that letter, however brightly Mr. Saun- 
ders might have written it, you could not have produced 
an equal effect. 

There are also such announcements as the number 
present and the amount of the collection. These facts 
may be so stated as to increase both the attendance and 
the offering, or they may be put before the school in a 
way so dull and careless as to render the scholars them- 
selves stupid and indifferent. 

Sometimes the secretar}^ and treasurer make these an- 
nouncements ; and this is a good plan, if they can be de- 
pended upon to speak at the right instant, briskly and 
loudly. Indeed, the superintendent will always do well 



92 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

to get some one else to make an announcement for him, 
provided the substitute has some personal interest in 
what he is going to say, and can speak precisely to the 
point. 

And finally, I hope none of my readers will think I 
have spent too many words upon a small matter. No 
constantly recurring Sunday-school feature is a small 
matter. Only a few minutes are given to the notices, to 
be sure ; but multiply them by tens of thousands of 
schools and millions upon millions of listening scholars, 
and the total of precious time and possible influence 
would surely warrant many a chapter longer than this. 
It is the littles that make success, in the Sunday school 
and everywhere else. 



CHAPTER XIII 

THE SWING OF THE SCHOOL 

You notice the difference as soon as you enter. 

One school is alert, the other loggy ; one is attentive, 
the other heedless ; one is interested, the other bored. 
The first school seems to run itself ; the second, to be 
painfully hauled. The first school marches — tramp, 
tramp, tramp, the irresistible swing of the regiment. 
The second school hobbles and crawls. 

This is a fundamental difference in schools. There are 
other fundamental reasons why some schools are com- 
parative failures ; but if they have not this regimental 
swing, that is certainly one reason. 

The Officers. — This swing implies, in the first place, 
good officers. When you see a body of men or boys 
marching with this glorious alacrity, unison, and poise, 
you will know that he of the shoulder straps or the 
chevrons is back of it. That march is his zeal incor- 
porated, his enthusiasm and skill and patience. And 
likewise when you see a Sunday school that goes with a 
swing you will be sure that its officers are no dawdling 
incompetents, but that they are business men, about the 
King's business. 

The Drill. — The Sunday-school swing implies, in the 
second place, long and persistent drill, just as in the case 
of the regiment. A certain measure of routine is essen- 
tial if a school is to run smoothly. Endless changes, 

93 



94 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

incessant variety, may keep the scholars expectant, but 
it also keeps them uncertain and hesitant. Familiar 
roads are smooth ; and if they are well made, they are 
free from ruts. 

The Band. — Much of the regimental swing is due, in 
the third place, to the regimental band. Its inspiring 
strains quicken every foot, with every heart. They bind 
the regiment firmly together by the invisible cable of 
sound, so that the thousand move as a single man. And 
what the band is to the regiment, that the enthusiasm of 
the superintendent is to the Sunday school. His smiles 
are reflected in the smiles of a hundred faces. His words 
of cheer, his jolly laugh, his calm trust and confidence, 
multiply themselves wherever he moves among the classes. 
It is a glorious privilege,* thus to set the time for the 
march of the whole school. 

All Together. — But no one man makes the regimental 
swing, not even the colonel, lead he never so magnifi- 
cently. No band makes it, play it never so briskly. The 
regimental swing requires the co-operation of the men 
of the regiment, practically of them all. And so in the 
Sunday school : it is not enough for the superintendent 
to be enthusiastic or the teachers to be well trained ; the 
school will not swing till the scholars also have caught 
the step and are alive with the rhythm. 

The swing of the school begins with the opening word 
of the superintendent, or even with his decisive stepping 
upon the platform. That appearance before the school 
should be the sole signal for quiet and attention, recog- 
nized and obeyed as a thousand clanging call bells never 
would be. 



THE SWING OF THE SCHOOL 95 

The Start. — If a company of soldiers starts to march 
in a straggling, listless way, they will straggle listlessly 
to their journey's end. How often, when I was drilling 
at school, did the sergeant stop the company with a sharp 
" Halt ! " if we did not start off with left feet simulta- 
neously brisk ! And, alas ! for the multitude of schools 
that are started Sunday after Sunday in the same old, 
listless way — the same songs sung in the same fashion at 
the same intervals ; the same reading of Scripture, verse 
about ; the same prayer, with its stock phrases about 
" choose out our changes " and " each and every one of 
us," and " all this with the forgiveness of our sins " ; the 
same conclusion, "The classes will now study the lesson." 

The superintendent should prepare for the start-off as 
thoroughly as the teachers prepare for the lesson. He 
should devise little surprises, a new order, fresh methods 
for the old order. The opening exercises give the time 
for the whole session. Do not let them drag. 

The Programme. — Beginning thus, the swing of the 
school will depend on a swift programme, well thought 
out beforehand, and carried through with no pauses or 
delays. If one feature fails or is tardy, pass promptly 
to the next, returning to it, if you choose and it is ready. 
It would be comical, if it were not so sad, to see how quickly 
a school goes to pieces while the superintendent is having 
a whispered consultation with one of his officers, or the 
secretary, who was to read a notice, is fumbling for it 
through his pockets. Allow no opportunity for this 
catastrophe. Keep things moving. 

The Close. — Then, if this swinging opening is to be 
brought to the climax of a swinging close that will carry 



96 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

the effect of the Sunday school throughout the coming 
week, the school must not be allowed to break step in 
the teaching half hour. The superintendent, as was his 
duty, has delivered the scholars to the teachers with 
minds eager and receptive. It is their duty to deliver 
the scholars back to him still unfagged and alert. Im- 
press this responsibility upon them, and show them how 
to do it. In other words, have a weekly teachers' 
meeting ! 

There are many superintendents that will not know 
what I am talking about in this article, and never will 
know until chance, or a blessed providence, or the wise 
arrangement for visiting made by some Sunday-school 
association, brings them into a school that does move 
with a swing. I worked for years in a school without a 
swing, and knew no better till I was led, one happy day, 
into a school of the opposite kind. It was, indeed, an 
enlightenment. 

And after a man has had this experience he is never 
again satisfied with Sunday-school flabbiness. He has 
seen that the Sunday-school swing means officers cheered 
by a sense of progress, teachers in their places with their 
hearts on their duty, enthusiasm everywhere, and bright- 
ness and determination. Best of all, he perceives that 
the school swing is infectious ; that it draws in with it, 
in spite of themselves, the listless, the mischievous, and 
the stupid, and incorporates them with the onrush of the 
regiment. Were it only to sweep such as these into the 
kingdom of heaven, the Sunday-school swing would be 
infinitely worth while. 



CHAPTER XIV 

THE PEDAGOGIC VALUE OF FUN 

There is a capital story by Owen Wister called 
" Philosophy Four." It represents two hearty students 
of Harvard, who are afflicted with Course Four in the 
uncongenial study of philosophy, and are doing some very 
necessary but very doleful cramming under a pedantic 
tutor in preparation for the ordeal of final examinations. 
Maddened beyond control by the delights of a perfect 
June morning, they boldly escape from their tutor into a 
far-away meadow, where they convert philosophy into a 
jovial sport, pelting each other with inquiries concerning 
Pythagoras and the rest, and keeping score against each 
other as if the game were football or tennis. In the ex- 
amination next day they outrank their disgusted tutor — 
a conclusion entirely natural, and much applauded by the 
reader. 

Pleasure and Profit. — What was true of Philosophy Four 
is true of all studies whatever, and assuredly true of our 
Sunday-school work, namely, that " No profit goes where 
there's no pleasure ta'en, " and that, per contra, the 
nearer a study can approach to a game, the better results 
will be won, in the memory and the life. 

I do not advocate buffoonery, of course, the telling of 
jokes malapropos, the meaningless grin, the nervous 
titter, the sacrifice of worth to wit and of profit to a 
pun. A monkey in a school-room would doubtless win 

97 



98 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

and hold the attention of the children, but he would see 
the outside of the door even more promptly than Mary's 
little lamb. 

Still less do I suggest the use of sarcasm, that teachers 
should "make fun' 9 of the mistakes of their scholars. 
Fun means sympathy, entering into the feeling of the 
class and into the spirit of your task. There is no fun 
that is not fun for two. 

The advantages of fun in teaching the Sunday-school 
lesson are many. It clarifies the head. A good laugh 
is a tonic to the brain as well as to the blood. Note 
how the eyes of the children brighten when they are 
amused. Their minds brighten at the same time, back 
of their eyes. 

That is one reason why the stories told by a witty 
speaker are sure to be remembered, even though his 
earnest remarks are forgotten, and that is why so many 
are afraid of introducing humor into serious discussions. 
This difficulty, however, arises only from the habit of 
throwing in comicalities merely to raise a laugh, bits of 
humor that are practically unconnected with the subject, 
like clusters of electric lights placed in front of a picture. 
But there is no such difficulty if the fun is introduced 
like electric lights half covered in the ceiling, a reflector 
throwing all their light on the picture below. Attach 
your merriment to the points of the lesson so that the 
two are inseparably joined together in your scholars' 
minds, and whatever brightness you bring into the lesson 
will simply insure its retention in the memor}^. 

Another reason for the use of fun in teaching the 
lesson is that thus you check your scholars' tendency to 



THE PEDAGOGIC VALUE OF FUN 99 

mischief. A good laugh is a safety-valve for energy that 
might otherwise work itself off in disorder. These 
lively pieces of humanity are determined to have a good 
time somehow. See that they have it, but in your way. 

Our Happy Religion. — The best reason for the intro- 
duction of fun into your teaching is that thus you show 
the happy side of religion ; you make it evident that 
Christianity is not a compound of long faces, sighs, and 
darkened rooms, but that it is cheery, sunshiny, hearty, 
even jovial. 

Once in Canada I came across a summer colony of a 
peculiar sect, an article in whose creed was the right to 
laugh right out in meeting. I attended some of their 
religious gatherings, and was startled, and interested if 
not edified, by the frank, unafraid, unmistakable laughter 
with which, all over the auditorium, the brethren and 
sisters manifested their pleasure in the utterances of their 
minister. 

Well, I would not advocate that custom, but still I 
should decidedly prefer it to the religious whine and the 
pious groan. It appears more uncouth only because it 
is less common. Ah, Sunday-school workers, we are en- 
gaged in the propagation of earth's supreme happiness, 
the one source of all joy there is. As a commercial 
traveler carries samples of his goods, as a barber must 
look neat about the head and a tailor about the body, 
so let us, whose business it is to advocate the kingdom 
of heaven, exhibit in our lives the essence of that king- 
dom — not only righteousness and peace, but also joy in 
the Holy Ghost ! 

A Merry Bearing. — To gain this desirable element for 
LcfC. 



100 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

your teaching, it is not essential that you have a sharp 
tongue, ready with quip and crank. A merry bearing, 
without a spoken word, will greatly commend you to the 
hearts of the young folks. Marvelous is the effect of a 
cheerful face, a dancing eye, a brisk and alert carriage. 
Go with these to the class, and you have well-nigh suc- 
ceeded before you begin. 

Brisk Speech. — Add to this a sprightly way of talking. 
A droning teacher would better lay aside his commission 
till he can reform his voice. Questions that hesitate 
will never elicit prompt replies. Explanations that limp 
and exhortations that stumble will never lead these direct 
young minds into the kingdom of heaven. I think that 
most Sunday-school teachers talk too slowly. When 
men are eager, when they are " dead in earnest," their 
words crowd on one another's heels, and flash with the 
fiery torches of conviction. There is no deliberate, 
stately utterance when children are at play, or when 
grown-ups are really enjoying themselves. 

Be Your Scholars' Chum. — Another fatal defect of 
manner is that indefinable primness, quality of the tradi- 
tional schoolma'am, which at once puts a thousand 
leagues between you and your scholars. Most desirable 
is that easy comraderie with which all successful teach- 
ers approach their classes — a fascinating friendliness 
with which some are naturally gifted, but which others 
must strive after with long desire. The prim teacher 
will say, " You are mistaken, Lucy. Can you not give 
the correct reply ?" And Lucy will blush and dumbly 
shake her head. The teacher who is "just too lovely for 
anything" will say, u O come now, Lucy, I know you 



THE PEDAGOGIC VALUE OF FUJST 101 

don't mean that! Just think a minute, dear." And 
Lucy will grin and give the right answer, if it is in her 
curly pate. 

Of course, this comraderie cannot be merely feigned. 
It must be the real thing, or not at all. The teacher 
must actually be on easy terms with her scholars, or she 
cannot talk easily with them. And how shall one get 
on easy terms with one's class ? It cannot be done with- 
out spending time and taking trouble. The teacher must 
have good times with the class outside the Sunday 
school. Arrange occasional expeditions with them, to 
some museum, or library, or public institution, or scene 
of historical interest. Take walks with them now and 
then, to study the birds, or the flowers, or the rocks. 
Hold a field day, for outdoor games and athletic con- 
tests. Invite them to your home for an evening of 
games. Now and then get them to meet at your house 
to study next Sunday's lesson with you, following the 
study with games, singing, and a round of apples and 
nuts. Invite other classes, that will be congenial, to 
join your class sometimes in these pleasant hours. 

Enjoying it Yourself. — And how, it may be asked, if 
you do not take kindly to games, if } 7 ou do not enjoy 
them and are awkward at them ? What if fun does not 
" come natural " to you ? 

Well, in that case about the first thing you need to do 
is to make fun natural to you! Change jowy nature. 
Gloom is not goodness — it is almost its opposite. It is 
a serious handicap to be too serious ; it is likely to 
lessen your influence over others. Men that are most 
saintly and most deeply in earnest — like Phillips Brooks, 



102 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

for instance, or Moody, or Spurgeon — are men that 
know best how to laugh and how to make others laugh. 
If you would strive as earnestly to learn to play as you 
strive to succeed in your work, you would learn to play, 
and your work would be immensely benefited by the 
operation. Certainly you cannot get your class to enjoy 
their work until you also enjoy it, until you put into it 
the vivacity and zest of recreation. 

Something of the spirit of a game should enter all 
recitations. Those two young men of " Philosophy 
Four " were all the better friends because of their 
friendly contest out in the meadows, and they became 
friends, moreover, with the subject. I like to divide 
classes, half against half, and keep competitive score of 
their answers to my questions. I like to set one scholar 
after another before a class, and see who can stand the 
longest fire of interrogatories. I like to write divisions 
of the subject upon slips of paper and have the class 
draw them by lot, each elucidating the topic he draws. 
I like to make ai\ outline map upon the blackboard and 
then cover it while the scholars copy it from memory, 
fastening a gilt paper star upon the best copy. In many 
other ways it is possible to introduce into the recitation 
the spirit of a game, the spirit of friendly and fascinat- 
ing contest. 

Plan the Fun. — This enlivening of the lesson must be 
planned for as carefully as any other feature of the 
teacher's work; it will not come without planning. 
Especially if the theme is heavy and difficult is such en- 
livening necessary for the best results. It will not des- 
troy good impressions; it will do the opposite, it will 



THE PEDAGOGIC VALUE OF FUN 103 

clinch them. I would introduce into every lesson plan 
one section that I would call " Just for Fun." It would 
really be more than that, but never mind. 

Perhaps it would be merely the telling of a bright and 
pointed story. A good illustration, with a whiff of fun 
in it, will brighten a lesson wonderfully. To gather 
these I have a plan which I commend to all Sunday- 
school workers. I keep a large number of envelopes, 
each marked with the name of some virtue, vice, or other 
commonly recurring category, and all arranged in 
alphabetical order. Into these goes a large and con- 
stantly growing collection of anecdotes and other ma- 
terial for illustrations. When I read a good story, 
suitable for use in brightening a Sunday-school lesson, 
I cut it out and put it in the appropriate envelope. 
When I hear a good illustration I jot down the points, 
and file my notes in the same way. Thus I have at my 
instant command a well-filled storehouse of material for 
enlivening my lessons. 

Specimen Illustrations. — For example, we are to dis- 
cuss next Sunday Paul's testimony that he had learned, 
in whatsoever state, to be therein content. I find in my 
envelope marked " Contentment " some notes of a bit of 
observation made by a friend of mine, and I tell the class 
next Sunday how she was walking out one day when she 
passed the house of a poor old woman and saw her sit- 
ting on her front porch. Now this woman's husband, 
John by name, was a ne'er-do-well and a drunkard, who 
abused the old woman shamefully ; and yet she was sit- 
ting there, her face radiant with smiles. 



104 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

" Why, Aunt Marthy," said my friend, "you must have 
had good news, you look so happy." 

" No," said the dear old lady, " but I was just thinking 
if my John was good and kind, how nice it would be ! " 

Or perhaps the lesson is on prayer, and includes 
Christ's saying that whatever we ask for we are to be- 
lieve that we have it, and we— have it. Straightway in 
my envelope marked " Faith " I find the story of a very 
poor family of a town in which I once lived. There was 
nothing to eat in the house, but the mother had gone out 
to beg some bread and milk for her children. In eager 
and confident expectation the children sat in a row be- 
fore the fire, each with an empty bowl and a spoon. 

Suddenly the oldest noticed that the youngest had his 
bowl tipped very much to one side. 

" Sammy ! " she exclaimed, "see what you're doin' ! 
You're spillin' your milk — when you git it ! " 

Your Own Discoveries. — Such illustrations as these two 
are f for me, vastly better than perhaps more striking 
illustrations that I have merely picked up from books, 
because the two little events happened in my own town. 
In like manner, the anecdotes I discover for myself, in 
books, periodicals, or the sermons I hear, are better for 
my use than the admirable illustrations I find in the 
lesson helps, though I use them also. The more inti- 
mately the illustrations are associated with your own 
life, the more valuable will they be in your teaching. 

If that is true, then certainly the most useful illustra- 
tion of all is one associated with the lives of your scholars. 
If you have become one of their number, if you are ad- 
mitted to their little jokes and are acquainted with the 



THE PEDAGOGIC VALUE OF FUN 105 

incidents of their lives that mean the most to them, then 
you will miss a great opportunity if you do not utilize 
such knowledge in teaching the lesson. For example, 
you are talking about Saul's rapid progress in evil as 
soon as he allowed the spirit of jealousy to creep into his 
heart, and you slyly remark, " Saul found his downward 
course accelerated after the first wrong step, just as Tom 
the other day kept rolling faster and faster when he 
slipped on Pigeon Hill ! " Tom, certainly, and probably 
all the rest of the class, will rtever forget that point. 

Use Your Imagination. — Perhaps the best mode of en- 
livening the lesson is by a vigorous use of a consecrated 
imagination applied to the Scripture you are studying. 
I was always impressed by this in the preaching of 
D. L. Moody. The great evangelist was never more 
happy than when engaged in the exposition of some 
event of the Bible. It was so real to him that he made 
it real to the audience. His hearers became spectators, 
as the actual scene was spread before their eyes. 

For instance, I shall never forget his rendering — that 
is the proper word — of the story of Elisha and the widow 
with her oil. Moody sent her and her boy around among 
the neighbors after oil jars, in which to store the ex- 
pected miraculous supply. 

" Rat-tat-tat ! " 

" Who's there ? " 

"It's the Widow Benjamin. Have you any empty 
jars I could borrow ? " 

"Why, yes, one — and maybe two. Come right in, 
neighbor. And let my Isaac help you carry them 
home." 



106 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

The other folks in the street begin to look out of the 
windows. 

" Why, what is the Widow Benjamin up to ? She and 
her boy Joseph have taken home ten jars already, by 
actual count, and if she isn't going out after more this 
very minute ! " 

" Rat-tat- tat!" 

And thus the vivid description proceeded. Is there 
any doubt that every one in the room carried away an 
undying impression of at teast that one Bible story, and 
of the lesson of faith and works which Mr. Moody drew 
appropriately from it ? 

The Story of the Demoniac. — Mr. Mood}^s delight and 
model, Christmas Evans, the famous Welsh preacher, had 
the same sprightly imagination. So rememberable were 
his sermons that, though he left no writings, they have 
been transmitted to us minutely and faithfully from the 
memories upon which he stamped them. 

A good example is his sermon on the demoniac and the 
swine. We are made to see the swine heading for the 
cliff, and one of the swineherds, more alert than the rest, 
cries out : 

" What ails the hogs ? Look sharp there, boys — keep 
them in — use your whips ! Why don't you run? Why, 
I declare, one of them has gone over the cliff ! There, 
there goes another ! Drive them back, Tom ! " 

But over they all go, " Hack hog and all ! " 

So the story proceeds, with an animated conversation 
between the swineherds and the owner of the herd. 
Then the scene changes. The demoniac, clothed and in 
his right mind, is returning home. He shouts the good 



THE PEDAGOGIC VALUE OF FUN 107 

news to every one he meets. His children see him in the 
distance. They run to tell their mother. The frightened 
family lock the doors against him. 

" Are all the windows fastened, children ? " 

" Yes, mother." 

"Mary, my dear, come from the window — don't be 
standing there." 

" Why, mother, I can hardly believe it is father ! 
That man is well dressed." 

Thus Christmas Evans went on, picturing in his never- 
to-be-forgotten way the return of the restored demoniac. 

Well, we cannot all be Moodys or Christmas Evanses, 
but we can all get some of their life into us. We can all 
come out of the ruts, and stay out. We can all remem- 
ber that religion is no mouldy, dead-and-alive affair, but 
a vivacious, exhilarating joy. We can make the Sunday- 
school hour for our scholars the brightest hour of their 
week ; and in it all we shall only be illustrating the joy 
of the Lord, that thereby we may win them to its abid- 
ing strength. 



CHAPTER XV 

A TEACHER BY POST 

When I was a boy I had many Sunday-school teach- 
ers, but one, most faithful and long-continued, was a 
woman who is now in heaven. I do not recall a word 
she said to me in all the years of her class instruction, 
and yet she is probably the most influential teacher I ever 
had, in any kind of school, because of three letters she 
wrote me at intervals of about a year. 

I was in the town and was seeing her every day. 
There was no apparent necessity for a letter. However, 
the fact that she wrote those letters to me made a tre- 
mendous impression upon me. They were well-written 
letters, and inspired a respect for her literary ability. 
They were beautifully neat and careful in appearance ; 
time had evidently been lavished upon them. They were 
tender, urgent, thoughtful pleadings for me to declare 
myself a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, and join his 
church. 

Well, I did not join the church till years afterward ; 
but those letters never released their hold upon me, and 
were positive factors in my decision. I do not recall 
(more shame to me !) that I ever replied to the letters, or 
even thanked the writer. Perhaps in heaven she will 
know of these sentences, and accept the long-delayed ac- 
knowledgment. 

This article is for the purpose of urging upon Sunday- 

108 



A TEACHER BY POST 109 

school teachers just such work as that. Remember, 
a letter is an event in a child's life, a rare surprise. To 
receive a letter — actually by post — gives the child a de- 
lightful sense of importance. The precious missive is sure 
to be treasured ; its contents are sure to be remembered. 

Nor even in the case of older persons — adult classes — 
is a letter despised. Always it is valued above the same 
words spoken. It is an assurance of interest on the part 
of the writer. It is proof that he is eager to spend time 
and strength to gain the ends of the letter. " Talking is 
easy," has passed into a proverb ; but letter-writing — 
everybody knows that that is not easy ! 

Indeed, because so much time and energy are required, 
many teachers will shrink from this suggestion. And 
yet, if you do a very little of this work every day, you 
will be amazed to see how easily you will do it, and how 
much of it you will get done in the course of the year. 

Much Depends Upon System. — While taking all advan- 
tage of unexpected occasions and opportunities, I should 
not wait for them, but I should plan this letter-writing 
as far in advance as possible. I should even keep a little 
ledger, and set up a letter-account with every scholar — 
just when I wrote and when I received an answer, and 
what the results were. I should use copying ink, and 
make a press copy of all my letters, to review now and 
then what I had written to each, and to avoid duplicat- 
ing. These copies, with whatever letters I received from 
each scholar, I should keep in separate pigeon-holes, one 
to a person, striving thus to give each correspondence the 
individuality that these different souls need. In your 
oral teaching you must do mass work, chiefly ; but in this 



110 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

letter-writing you are doing just the personal work that 
is most fruitful. You can study every scholar by him- 
self and meet his own peculiar need e 

These Letters Need not be Long.— Just a line sometimes 
will be as good as a quire. " You gave us a good recita- 
tion last Sunday. Thank you ! " Can any one doubt 
that those ten words, received through the mail, would 
send a glow to any scholar's heart, and to his head the 
determination to give good recitations forever? 

Yet, though the'letters may often be brief, they should 
never be careless. Use good stationery and good ink. 
Bring out your best penmanship. Always stamp them 
and send the letter by mail ; a letter sent around by the 
servant is not to the child a " real letter." 

Do not write at all until you can put your heart into 
the letter. It is the personal touch that counts. If the 
missives are in the least degree stiff or perfunctory, if 
they are written from duty and not desire, the sensitive 
recipients will feel it. Individualize the scholars as you 
write. Picture each before you. Think of his home, his 
surroundings, his likings, his tasks, his temptations. 
There is not in all the world a life like his ; let there be 
no other letter like yours to him. 

Of course this implies that you cannot use for this pur- 
pose the hektograph or other duplicating devices. For 
getting up diagrams, announcements, lists of questions, 
and similar pedagogic details, the duplicator is indispen- 
sable ; but one letter written solely to Lucy Brown is 
worth a dozen that Lucy must share with Susan Green 
and Alice Barber and Grace Colesworthy. 

This is not to say that a " round robin " is not a useful 



A TEACHER BY POST 111 

variation in your epistolary labors. For example, you 
are absent on some delightful vacation trip and you wish 
to tell the whole class about your experiences, but you 
have no time to write each a long letter. In that case, 
you will place at the head of your account an alphabetical 
list of the class, with instructions to pass the letter 
around in that order. 

Seek and expect return letters. Ask questions, and in 
other ways show that a reply is desired. Be appreciative 
of it when it comes. Often the writing of this reply will 
be to the scholar the best part of the experience. 

I do not mean to imply that the letters should always, 
or perhaps often, be entirely serious. Bits of fun will 
brighten wonderfully your relations with your scholars, 
and nowhere more than in these letters. Yet I should 
tuck away in each epistle, however merry, some earnest 
hint of eternal realities. 

I do not mean to imply, either, that the letters should 
be regular or frequent. Let them not become a burden 
to you, or familiar .commonplaces to your scholars. 
Maintain the helpful element of surprise. 

Once in a while I should obtain the aid of some one 
else in this letter-writing. Here is a troublesome boy, 
and you are a woman. You may know some young man 
whom the lad admires, and a manly letter from him, 
on fundamental matters, may, if you can bring it about, 
do more for the boy than all your teaching ; and it will 
be a part of your teaching. Here is a soul " almost per- 
suaded." A wise, loving note from the pastor or the 
pastor's wife may give just the needed spur to decision ; 
and you may obtain that note. Sometimes it will be 



112 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

the superintendent that can write most helpfully; some- 
times it will not be an adult at all, but another boy or 
girl. Just bear in mind this possibility of co-operation 
in letter-writing. Here, as well as everywhere else, it is 
not good to be alone. 

I find myself writing in terms of the boys and girls ; 
but let it be borne in mind that all these suggestions 
apply quite as forcibly to their elders. Human nature 
is about the same, at eight or eighty. 

Letters to Parents. — Indeed, one of the most fruitful 
lines of work you could follow, if you are a teacher of 
young folks, is the writing of letters to their parents. 
Not letters of complaint — strictures are always better 
spoken than written — but letters praising their children 
when you can praise them honestly, telling your plans 
for the children, asking their co-operation, and suggest- 
ing how it may be given. Of course these letters are 
not to take the place of conversation with parents, but 
they will be more impressive than talk, with them as 
with their children. 

In this letter-writing you will need to guard against 
any suspicion of favoritism. Take an early occasion to 
write to all your scholars, and when you write to any 
scholar thereafter, let it be, so far as possible, on an oc- 
casion evidently peculiar to himself. 

When to Write. — What are some of the occasions that 
afford good opportunities for these letters ? They are 
very numerous, when once you begin to look for them. 

Anniversaries always give a good chance. There are 
the seasons — the New Year, fit time for a guiding word, 
a twelvemonth motto ; the holy Easter, that well may 



A TEACHER BY POST 113 

prompt an invitation to the new life in Christ ; Children's 
Day, and Rally Sunday, the beginning and close of vaca- 
tion, with suitable reminders of wise play and wise 
work ; Thanksgiving Day, with impulses for gratitude ; 
jubilant Christmas, that should bring its message of love 
and cheer. Lovely printed cards are available for most 
of these festivals ; but, even if they are used, the written 
word should not be omitted. 

For individual work, however, more personal anniver- 
saries are generally to be preferred. Next Sunday will 
be a year after Tom's joining the church. Why not a 
letter to him, reviewing his first year as a professed 
Christian, full of stimulus for the year to come ? (Of 
course you wrote him a letter when he joined the 
church.) Or it may be just two years ago that Ed 
Ballentine entered your class. He has forgotten the 
date, but a cordial letter from you on that anniversary 
will make membership in a Sunday-school class a vastly 
more important affair in his eyes henceforth. Birthdays 
are always fit times for tender and wise counsels, and 
your class birthday book should be always at hand. Per- 
haps it is ten years since you became teacher of that class, 
and what more appropriate than a special greeting (which 
may be printed this time) to all the present and former 
members ? 

A Correspondence Class. — I include the former mem- 
bers, because a Sunday-school teacher is losing much of 
the blessedness of this blessed relation unless he main- 
tains it after his scholars have left the class and school, 
and perhaps gone out into the busy world. I know a 
teacher of a class of servant girls. They, of course, 



114 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

make many changes in abode, but she follows them up. 
Thus she has formed what she calls a correspondence 
class ; it has twenty-nine members, and each of them re- 
ceives a letter from her once a quarter. 

There are other occasions, man}^ of them, that will 
furnish openings for fruitful letters. There are times of 
sorrow, when loved ones die, when sickness comes, or 
some disappointment or loss. Be ready then w T ith a 
heartening word — not only spoken, with the meaningful 
pressure of the hand, but written, for reading over and 
over. There are times of joy, more likely to be neglected : 
The young man has been appointed valedictorian, has ob- 
tained a situation, has been admitted to the firm ; the 
young woman has read a charming essay at the literary 
club, or perhaps her marriage engagement is announced. 
Why should not such occasions be signalized by letters 
of congratulation ? 

Sometimes the occasion of the letter must not be 
stated, as when you realize that one of your scholars 
is exposed to sore temptation, and you must reach out 
a hand to him, though in the dark. Then you will im- 
provise an occasion from your own life. It will be a re- 
cent experience of yours, perhaps, which you want to 
share with him. It may be a bit of your reading, which 
you really must pass along. It may be a good poem, 
which has just come to you with new force, and you 
know his fondness for poetry. At such times you will 
be profoundly grateful that you have established the 
habit of writing letters to your scholars, so that such a 
message comes naturally from you to him. 

In the main, of course, the occasions for your letter- 



A TEACHER BY POST 115 

writing will be connected with the ordinary progress of 
class work. You will wish to give praise for a lesson 
well learned. You will wish to make assignments of 
special work, and you know that a request by mail will 
be better heeded than one by mouth. You will want to 
impress some thought of the last lesson, or say some 
word for which there was no time in the class. You 
will be away on vacation, or they will be absent on 
theirs, and you wish to maintain the continuity of the 
class. You will be sending messages to sickrooms, often 
with little gifts. Best and chiefest of all, j r ou will want 
to draw your scholars to Christ, and because of their 
diffidence, or perhaps because of your own, you will 
choose to break the ice by a letter, which will certainly 
be followed up by personal conversations. 

I have by no means exhausted this fruitful theme, but 
I have written enough to exhibit its wide possibilities. 
The teacher's art is manifold, and the best teacher is the 
one that is eager to teach in every way. He will follow 
the example of that superb teacher, Paul, and be made 
all things — letter-writer and all — to all his scholars, 
that by all means he may save some. 



CHAPTEK XVI 



Imagine a secular school without a blackboard ! 
How constantly, in our public schools and colleges, this 
invaluable pedagogic aid is used, adding eye-gate to ear- 
gate, and doubling the access to the pupils' minds ! If 
our Bible schools are not to fall behind in educational 
power, they also must use the blackboard. And not 
only must there be one in front of the school, ready 
to carry its silent but forcible messages simultaneously 
to every brain, but each classroom must be furnished as 
well; or, if your classes are still jumbled together in the 
general pandemonium of one " Sunday-school room," 
none the less should each class have either a blackboard 
or its equivalent in an enormous paper tablet. 

The best blackboard for the superintendent is on the 
whole a stationary one, fastened to the wall in front of 
the school. It is conspicuous, is always in position, and 
is never in the way. It should run in grooves, being 
supported by weights, so that any one working at it may 
push it up as he writes. It is best to have two boards, 
one back of the other, acting as counterpoises, so that as 
one moves up the other moves down. Thus a design or 
inscription may be placed upon the board behind, to be 
disclosed at the proper minute by shoving up the board 
in front. Such a blackboard has proved very satisfac- 

116 



THE SUPEKINTENDENT'S BLACKBOARD 117 

tory in our school, and any good carpenter could make 
one. 

If for any reason this is impracticable, a portable board 
may be made by almost any one, or may be bought for 
from two dollars up. For drawing, the best is a black- 
board that is not a hoard at all, but simply a slate-sur- 
faced canvas, stretched tight, but giving beneath the 
chalk sufficiently to produce the most effective shading. 

While few Sunday schools have blackboards at all, of 
those few scarcely one uses the blackboard as much as it 
should, or as wisely. Blackboard work is an art in it- 
self, and like all arts it requires earnest and persistent 
study. 

This is not to say that the effects should be intricate. 
On the contrary, it is the simple, straightforward black- 
board work that is the most attractive — outline drawing, 
rapidly made in the presence of the school, and clear, 
bold lettering. 

Colored chalk may be used with good results, but only 
the brightest of reds and yellows for what you want to 
be seen from the back of the room. I have seen black- 
board work in blue or green that was practically invisi- 
ble twenty feet off. 

Indeed, the back of the room must be your goal, for 
eye-gate as well as ear-gate. Whatever you write, print, 
or draw on the blackboard must be seen from that view- 
point, and without eye-strain, or you have bungled at 
your work. 

For what will the superintendent use his blackboard ? 

In the first place, sometimes if not always he will use 
it for the routine notices of attendance and collection ; 



118 SUNDAY -SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

only, he will not use it in any routine fashion. For in- 
stance, he may print, with vim : — 

'Present last Sunday , &3L 
Tfesent this Sunday » ZtO. 

LVasrt YOU % fault* 

Or, if the collection is falling off, he may prod the 
school thus : — 

Collection tbdjjuf^ 
~ from Z o t scholars 

onlif I 6<t cents . 
Room fc« improvement! 

Or, if congratulations are in order, he will deliver them 
thus : — 

COMING UP! 

(yOOJD! 

Or, if he wants to remind the scholars of the mission- 
ary object for which they are giving, he may use his best 
flourishes on the following : — 

1/6UL onoO 4 67 6 5 ~te-daf. 
TkaX unlfl pkoJuu Aay*%ju <4w*iduj 
&lAfuinJ AtjujLce,. 

Two-Minute Talks. — The talkative superintendent is 



THE SUPERINTENDENT'S BLACKBOARD 119 

so unmitigated a nuisance that I hesitate even to sug- 
gest the possible value of a two-minute blackboard talk 
by him at the close of the lesson hour. The two min- 
utes are so likely to grow to ten ! But if the superin- 
tendent will keep his watch in his hand and stop short, 
no matter where he is, at the expiration of one hundred 
and twenty seconds, he may place an effective " snapper " 
upon the lesson. 

To that end a blackboard design of some sort is espe- 
cially useful, both because it may largely take the place 
of a speech, and because so much truth may be presented 
in a form so portable. No programme for this work 
can be laid down. A man's own ideas are always the 
best — for him, provided he enlarges and fertilizes his 
ideas by careful alid frequent study of the ideas of 
others. 

Various Plans. — Sometimes the superintendent will 
place on the blackboard, before the beginning of the ses- 
sion, three questions on the lesson. He will tell the 
school to consider those questions during the lesson hour, 
and be ready to answer them at the close. 

Sometimes he will simply print on the board a Bible 
verse or an original sentence summarizing the teachings 
of the lesson. He will cover this with a sheet of paper, 
and at the -close of the recitations he will remove the 
paper and have the school read the sentence in concert, 
several times. 

This covering of a design, in whole or in part, by 
paper pinned on, is a useful device. It may be employed 
to add interest to a picture. For example, you may 
draw Elisha, with the horses and chariots on the moun- 



120 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

tain round about ; but the latter may be hidden by 
pieces of paper until the proper time for disclosure. 

The prevalent use of acrostics is to be condemned, ex- 
cept in the rather rare instances in which the acrostics 
are really bright and pointed, worth remembering and 
possible to remember. Most of them are merely fortui- 
tous alliterations, teaching no lesson whatever. For ex- 
ample, this, of which I myself am the proud author : — 

Saul <>c piruis 

eeK5 asses <>dia*v£- 

That is pretty bad, but not one whit worse than thou- 
sands that are solemnly set forth as condensations of 
Scriptural truth. They titillate the "fancy, but they do 
not enlighten the mind. They trifle with majestic senti- 
ments, and reduce them to the jingle of the nursery : 
" The Jack and the Jolick and the Jamboree." 

If I may draw once more from my own devices, I 
would say that the following arrangement of letters 
comes nearer my ideal of blackboard work along this 
line. The lesson deals with the rich young man who 
came to Jesus, with the house on the sand, or some 
similar theme. The superintendent prints in a vertical 
line the letters of the word " Christ." He then says a 
few words about the true wealth, urging the scholars to 
obtain it from Christ. The "richest "man is the man 
who has " Christ." As he talks, the superintendent ex- 
tends arrows from the letters toward the right, repeating 
each letter at the end of its arrow, until the diagram 
looks like this : — 



THE SUPERINTENDENT'S BLACKBOARD 121 




The fact that an E must be supplied would greatly dis- 
turb a virtuoso, but does not trouble me in the least. 
What I want is to put a truth in a simple, rememberable, 
graphic form ; and that I have done. 

A historical chart of great value is a simple upright 
line drawn on the left of the blackboard, and divided 
into decades or centuries, to cover the period studied 
during the quarter. Write the names of the characters 
in the proper places as you study them, and without a 
word your line will become a historical backbone for the 
quarter in the mind of every spectator. 

When you begin to study Christ's life, inspire the 
scholars with an ambition to learn in chronological order 
all the seventy-five (more or less) recorded events in that 
life. Make a numbered list of them on the black- 
board as you proceed in the study. Review them every 
Sunday, covering them with a piece of paper, and 
not disclosing each until it has been named by the 
school. 

Blackboard Maps. — Often a map is the best occupant 
of the superintendent's blackboard. It should be very 
distinct, but merely outlines. You might call out a 



122 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

scholar and ask him to mark the situation of whatever 
place is the scene of the lesson ; then, of the scene of 
the last lesson. You may mark places and ask the school 
to name them. When events are closely connected, you 
may bring in the serial interest. For instance, lines of 
various colors may represent the various journeys of 
Christ, prolonged as the lessons proceed ; or the routes 
followed by Paul, or Moses, or Abraham. Instead of a 
chalk line, you may use pins, connected by strings of dif- 
ferent colors. 

Blackboard Drawings. — The ability to draw is not, as 
has been shown, an essential to the successful use of the 
blackboard, and yet it is a great aid. No elaborate 
drawing is needed, nor has the superintendent, in his two 
or three minutes, time for it. One of the brightest 
blackboard talks ever given was upon the parable of the 
good Samaritan, and was illustrated merely by a square, 
with two parallel lines winding diagonally across it for 
the hill-road, while a short line represented the prostrate 
traveler, and upright lines in various places stood for the 
other characters of the story. 

Similarly, a circle is a sufficient Pool of Bethesda, a 
short horizontal line amply sets forth the impotent man, 
a few vertical strokes will be his friends, and a scarlet 
upright will be the Saviour. The various steps of Saul's 
progress and decline may be pictured with clearness and 
point by an outline flight of steps, rising, falling, and 
stopping abruptly as the king's life plunges into the 
darkness of a suicide's death. All Bible stories may be 
depicted in this simple way. The children's vivid imagi- 
nation will fill out these scanty lines, and make them as 



THE SUPERINTENDENT'S BLACKBOARD 123 

significant as a cartoon by Raphael. They are far more 
helpful, because far less misleading, than more elaborate 
attempts, such, for instance, as a watering-pot in action 
which I once saw drawn to represent — showers of bless- 
ing! 

In conclusion, let me emphasize the necessity of brevity. 
The superintendent's blackboard will be a nuisance and 
not an assistance if he does not confine himself strictly 
to two or three minutes, — merely the keystone word 
that binds together the impression of the lesson hour. If 
in any of the ways I have indicated, and all of them in 
turn, he can accomplish this, the dingy surface of his 
blackboard will become the glowing heart of the school. 



CHAPTER XVII 

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL AS AN AVOCATION 

Some persons take up Sunday-school work as a mere 
temporary employment ; and of course they get from it, 
at the best, only transient and paltry results. 

Others enter upon it as a bit of fun. Their scholars, 
perhaps, enjoy with them the novel experience ; but their 
labor is as evanescent as a summer holiday. 

Still others assume the teacher's task as a disagreeable 
duty. They clinch their teeth and go at it in bulldog 
fashion, worrying all pleasure and profit out of it, until 
the task is dead. 

And yet others are personally aggrieved when asked 
to take a Sunday-school class, and if in a manner forced 
to comply, they nurse the wrong in a rebellious heart. 
Small wonder that their scholars are rebellious also. 

A Life Task. — But there are some — happy is the Sun- 
day-school cause in that there are many — who pursue 
their Sunday-school task in a far different spirit. To 
them it is a life-task, a glorious life-task ; second, neces- 
sarily, in their time and thought and energy, to their sec- 
ular employment, but not second in their eager devotion. 
In other words, there are many to whom the Sunday 
school has become an avocation. 

An avocation is the side calling which runs parallel to 

124 



THE SUNDAY SCHOOL AS AN AVOCATION 125 

the main calling, as a delightful country lane lies parallel 
to the beaten country highway. One flees to it with a 
sense of relief from the noise and bustle. A well-loaded 
wain may pass along it, but leisurely. The cherry blos- 
soms hang over it, and the primrose peeps from the 
banks. 

An avocation is not a luxury, it is a necessity. It 
affords that variety which is often more than the spice of 
life, being its flexile water ; without it life grows parched 
and withered. 

An avocation is not a mere sport, though it is a recrea- 
tion — it re-creates. Indeed, it must have substantial aims 
and worthy processes, or it cannot withdraw an earnest 
man from his routine employments and give him that 
change of activity which is the most profitable and enjoy- 
able of rests. 

To an avocation one is called, just as much as to a voca- 
tion. It is an error only less serious to choose the wrong 
avocation than to select the life-work that God does not 
design for us. To certain avocations, as to certain voca- 
tions, men are called by the combined voices of oppor- 
tunity, duty, ability, desire, and conscience, — some or all 
of them. In those they will be successful, and nowhere 
else. 

Now if all this is true, it makes a vast difference in 
what way one takes up his Sunday-school work. If God 
intends the task for you at all, he intends it as an avoca- 
tion, not as a jest, a burden, an experiment, or an affront. 
And the only way to succeed in anything — Sunday- 
school work or anything else — is to do it in the right 
spirit. A task is half determined by your impression of 



126 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

it. Pond-like, it takes its color from the mental sky that 
broods above it. 

An Ideal Avocation. — And Sunday-school work, if you 
take it up as your God-given avocation, is an ideal one. 
Those that undertake it in the wrong spirit do not see 
how that can be. " I always come home from my class 
with a headache," sighs one. " Those boys will be the 
death of me ! " groans another. u I don't see why / have 
to teach that class, when Miss Jones could do it just as 
well as not," frets a third. They do not understand how 
the Sunday school can afford an avocation. 

But the true teacher understands ! There are trials in 
her path, to be sure, but they are swallowed up of the 
joys. Her Sunday-school w T ork is not a depression, but an 
exhilaration. It does not weary her, it actually rests her. 
She does not dread it, but anticipates it with pleasure. 
She does not come away from it with a headache, but 
with brains pleasantly excited and a warm glow at the 
heart. She dreams of it. It has become one of her most 
cherished ambitions. She has no thought of giving it up, 
ever. In short, it is her avocation. 

Very likely this feeling has not come at once. Very 
likely at first she was called to her avocation only by the 
voices of opportunity, ability, duty, and conscience, the 
voice of desire being silent or opposing. But as she has 
persisted honestly in the work, it has become her delight. 

The Sunday school is an ideal avocation because it so 
nobly enlarges life. It gives broad views of time and 
events. It acquaints us with the richest history and biog- 
raphy. It introduces us to the loftiest philosophy. 
Things the angels themselves desire to look into are its 



THE SUNDAY SCHOOL AS AH AVOCATION 127 

common themes of study. A knowledge of the Bible is a 
liberal education. " Fear the man of one book " — when 
that one is the Book. 

Moreover, the avocation of Sunday-school teaching will 
further your vocation, whatever it is ; and this not merely 
through the wide reach of information into which it will 
lead you, though that is much, and the quickening and 
uplifting of your mind, though that is more. The art of 
teaching is the art of self-command and the command of 
others, the art of tact, the art of impressing yourself — 
what you know and think — upon the lives around you. 
And this, as any successful business man understands, is 
the very essence of success in a worldly calling. 

It is a still further proof of the value of Sunday-school 
teaching as an avocation that it is helped by your voca- 
tion, whatever it is. The two fit in together, as they 
should. Your teaching is vitalized by your daily work. 
From that work you draw your most effective illustra- 
tions. In that work you test the truths you teach, and 
you carry the verification back to the Sunday school. 
St. Paul wove many a matchless chapter of the Bible as 
he wove his tent-cloth ; and " he that will not work shall 
not eat," of spiritual or material food. The best Sunday- 
school teachers, other things being equal, are the busiest 
men and women of affairs. 

Make it a Business. — Making Sunday-school teaching a 
vocation means making a business of it, though a subordi- 
nate business. Time must be given to it, generously, and 
as regularly as to the business that affords you a liveli- 
hood. In the definite planning for the week w r hich the 
wise always do, you will plan for a little Sunday-school 



128 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

study every day, and for each day its definite portion — 
the Scripture basis for one day, the facts of place and 
time another day, commentaries the third, illustrations, 
applications, teaching plans, review, for the remaining 
days. In the same way you will plan out your year's 
work, as a farmer plans his plantings or a merchant his 
purchases and sales. 

Nothing will be left to haphazard, not even the place of 
study. It will be the cars, during the half-hour to town 
and the half-hour back again. Or it will be in the 
kitchen while you are waiting for the dinner to cook. 
Or it will be in your bedroom, the first thing every 
morning. 

And in addition to the regular time and place, if Sun- 
day-school work has really become your avocation, your 
thoughts will turn to it instinctively and pleasantly in 
moments of leisure at any time and place. It will be 
" on your mind," as tennis is on one's mind if one is a 
tennis enthusiast, or as the chess-lover carries with him 
the latest fascinating problem. You will always have 
with you, in some conveniently portable form, the lesson 
text for the coming Sabbath, or even for the entire year. 
You will always carry a little blank book, in which to 
jot down Sunday-school ideas or plans or thoughts on 
coming lessons, or the illustrations that are so easily 
gathered but so easily lost if they are not fastened at 
once. 

Learn All You Can About It.— There is no permanent 
zeal without knowledge, in an avocation, as certainly in 
a vocation. If you are truly making the Sunday school 
your life-work, you will be eager to learn from books and 



THE SUNDAY SCHOOL AS AK AVOCATION 129 

periodicals all you can about it. You will subscribe to 
one or two journals of instruction for teachers, just as the 
golfer or hunter has his magazine for outdoor sports. 
You will read the many wise and helpful volumes on 
Sunday-school teaching that recent years have brought 
us, and you will collect a little library of them for con- 
stant study. 

Especially, you will seek to peruse that open book, 
the experiences of other teachers whom you may meet. 
You will not miss a convention of Sunday-school work- 
ers, if you can help it, any more than a genuine yachts- 
man would miss a regatta. You will take a Sunday now 
and then to visit some other school and observe the 
methods there. You will drop in on the secular schools, 
and learn most profitably from their ways of doing 
things. You will watch the most successful teachers in 
your own school also, and will copy their methods. You 
will arrange jolly suppers and evening gatherings for 
your co-workers, for acquaintanceship and for the shar- 
ing of ideas. One of the joys of an avocation is the com- 
panionship with the pleasantest people which it brings, 
and in this particular no avocation of them all is to be 
ranked above Sunday-school work. 

Grow in Your Work. — Many teachers in our Sunday 
schools tire of their task because they are not growing in 
it. Knowledge is not enough for enthusiasm ; it must be 
expanding knowledge. Every year should have some 
definite plan for advance, some programme of improve- 
ment. The live worker is eternally dissatisfied. Certain 
months of normal study should be a part of every Sun- 
day-school year. Now it will take up Bible geography ; 



130 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

again, Bible history in outline ; during other years, the 
story of the manuscripts, reviews of the books, biograph- 
ical studies, the study of some era, Bible botany, the 
doctrines, miracles. Let the aim be clear-cut, and not 
too ambitious for sure attainment. Allow no year to 
close without a sense of positive gain. 

Be a Sunday-school Specialist. — And yet, with all this 
ardent advance into the wide fields of Bible lore, in his 
practice the successful teacher will be a specialist. 
Choose the grade for which you are best adapted. It 
may need some experimentation to discover whether you 
are best with older scholars or younger, boys or girls or 
men or women. But having settled that point, hold to 
the one line of work. If it is the tiniest children, insist 
on their leaving your class as soon as they are able to 
read. If it is boys, be watchful for the time when they 
should go on to the young men's class. 

And Polish Your Specialty. — Learn all there is to know 
about kindergarten methods of the Sunday school, if that 
is your chosen field ; or about adult classes, if it is there 
that you shine. A man who canoes a little, bowls a lit- 
tle, cycles a little, plays chess a little, and paints a little, 
will have no ardor for anything. Do your one thing in 
the Sunday school, and do it supremely well. 

Have regard, that is, to the vast value of cumulative 
experience. That is the chief reason why the Sunday 
school is to be made a field of effort for life. As class 
after class comes under your influence, imbibes your 
ideas, is strengthened by your character and fired by 
your faith, how gloriously the totals rise ! Men and 
women by hundreds look back upon the faithful Sunday- 



THE SUNDAY SCHOOL AS AN AVOCATION 131 

school teacher with a grateful affection they rarely feel 
even for their teachers of public school or college. " It 
was he, it was she," they remember, " that taught me the 
way of life, that introduced me to my Saviour and to the 
concerns of eternity." And theirs will be an eternal 
gratitude. 

The Glorious Rewards. — Ah ! what avocation presents 
rewards comparable to this ? The philatelist collects 
stamps, but the Sunday-school teacher stamps the divine 
image upon deathless souls. The biblomaniac gathers 
first editions, but the Sunday-school teacher presides at 
the making of first editions of men. The art amateur 
searches out the earliest impressions of great etchings, 
but the Sunday-school teacher himself makes the first 
impressions of imperishable works of art. The camera 
enthusiast transfers to paper the rarest glimpses of na- 
ture, but the Sunday-school teacher exposes to the heav- 
ens the lens of a human soul, and forms a picture that 
will endure after all photographs have faded away. 
When the laurel wreaths are awarded on the Recogni- 
tion Day, none will be greener than his, or more beauti- 
ful in the eyes of the angels. 



CHAPTER XVIII 

HOW TO BUILD UP THE ADULT BIBLE CLASS 

No defense should anywhere be needed for the motto, 
" All the church in the Sunday school, and all the Sun- 
day school in the church." Indeed, all Christians will 
admit that no one ever grows too old for Bible-study, or 
becomes so wise that he is not likely to gain much from 
Bible-study with other Christians. 

The rub comes in the practical working out of this 
commonly confessed truth. The children — we can send 
them to the Bible school ; but what impulsion can force 
us to send ourselves ? There are so many church serv- 
ices, anyway. And they are so long. And we are so 
tired. Oh, hum ! 

Thus it comes about that the adult department is by 
far the most poorly attended, in proportion to its possi- 
bilities, of all our Sunday-school departments. How to 
build up the adult Bible class is everywhere the most 
pressing of Sunday-school problems — pressing, that is, 
unless it is ignored altogether, and the Bible school of 
the church becomes a Bible kindergarten. To help solve 
that urgent problem, and add to the Sunday school its 
most important element, is the ambitious purpose of 
this chapter. 

The Class Room. — Perhaps the first essential for a 
good adult Bible class is a place to put it. Theoretically, 

132 



HOW TO BUILD UP THE ADULT BIBLE CLASS 133 

the attention of adults is more easily held and retained 
than that of children. Practically, if you want a strong 
and growing adult class, — set them off by themselves ! 
This necessity, proved by experience, arises largely, I 
think, from the need of overcoming the popular im- 
pression that the Sunday school, after all, is a childish 
institution. 

It may not be easy to find a room for the adult Bible 
class. Many thousands of Sunday schools are obliged to 
meet in the church auditorium. But generally it will be 
possible to carry out for the older folks a plan often used 
for the children, and make a temporary room with cur- 
tain partitions, supported by uprights that rise from 
sockets in the floor. A method very likely to be still 
more acceptable, and yet one rarely tried, is the use for 
the adult class of some private house near the church, 
where one large room, or two connecting rooms, will 
make an ideal meeting-place. 

But whatever mode of separation from the school is 
adopted, the older members should join with the young- 
sters in the opening exercises, that they may lend their 
visible influence to the school. Nothing will so magnify 
the boys' and girls' respect for Bible-study as the sight 
of a goodly number of men and women engaged in the 
same pursuit. For the sake of this example it is also 
desirable that the adult class join the school in the clos- 
ing exercises, though they will need more time on the 
lesson than the rest of the school, and should be privi- 
leged to take it. 

The Teacher. — If a suitable meeting-place is the first 
essential for a successful adult class, the chief essential 



134 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

is a good teacher. And here men often make the mis- 
take of thinking that no one but a remarkable Bible stu- 
dent can teach an adult class well. On the contrary, the 
class may well contain many a man or woman who 
knows more about the Bible than the teacher, though of 
course the teacher's scholarship must be such as the class 
will at least respect. But the teacher must be an able 
executive. He must be skilled in conducting debates, 
tactful in managing people, winsome in drawing out 
knowledge and opinions, decisive in closing discussions, 
in stating conclusions, and in guiding the deliberations of 
the class. He must be a pedagogical general. 

For example, in some of the most successful adult 
classes about which I have learned, the teacher himself 
does very little talking. He is an enthusiastic and in- 
spiring presiding officer. A week in advance he has 
made his assignments. Mrs. Tillinghast will give a 
summary of the events intervening between the last 
lesson and the present. Dr. Hopkins will say a few 
words introductory of the lesson, its central theme, its 
subordinate themes, a sort of prospectus. Miss Gilmore 
will give the facts regarding the time of the lesson, and 
Mr. Gravenhurst will describe the scene in which the 
lesson is located. Mrs. Koper will bring up points from 
the parallel passage in another book. Major Dayton 
will present a synopsis of an important magazine article 
bearing on the lesson. Certain difficult phrases will be 
referred to Professor Goodrich for an explanation, and 
certain Oriental customs to Mrs. Goodrich. Mr. Daven- 
port will conduct a discussion of the main teachings of 
the lesson, and Mr. Edgerton will close the half hour 



HOW TO BUILD UP THE ADULT BIBLE CLASS 135 

with a statement of the principal points to be remem- 
bered. Such a programme as this, briskly engineered 
by a capable chairman, would make few demands upon 
him, would enlist the leading members of the class, and 
would be vastly more effective, in the long run, than 
even the most brilliant teaching which is largely a 
monologue. 

The Lecture Plan. — Not that the monologue should 
be excluded altogether. Indefensible in teaching chil- 
dren, an occasional lecture adds dignity and attractive- 
ness to an adult class. Indeed if, as occasionally hap- 
pens, a few members of the class monopolize the time 
and drive away other members by tedious and obstinate 
discussions or harangues, then the teacher must adopt 
the lecture system to save his class. And always the 
class will appreciate the introduction now and then of 
some specialist for an extended talk. A traveler fresh 
from abroad, for instance, may describe the lands you 
are studying about. A physician may discuss the med- 
ical side of Luke's writings. Some scholar learned in 
ancient history may review recent discoveries among 
the monuments. A Christian scientist may give his 
views on the reasonableness of miracles. For such a 
talk, of wide scope and fertilizing power, the lesson for 
the day may profitably be omitted or postponed. 

In adult classes the methods of the university are to 
be used, rather than those of the grammar school. Be- 
fore starting on a new course of study, the teacher should 
consult the class and get their ideas as to the best meth- 
ods to follow. Sometimes, even when there is no other 
reason for it, a sense of freedom and of mastership is 



136 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

gained by departing for a time from the International 
lessons and striking out on a line of your own choosing. 
Always the International scheme is to be made the serv- 
ant and not the lord of the adult class. 

Something to Advertise. — Whether such a departure 
is made or not, something special to advertise is quite 
essential, if you would build up the adult department. 
It may be a series of talks, by specialists, on attractive 
Bible subjects. Some novel programme of class-work 
may be adopted, for a quarter or a year. A single new 
feature, such as a class library or regular class socials, 
may be introduced. 

And then, when you have obtained this something to 
advertise, advertise it ! Let the minister make it a text 
for a pulpit discourse on the adult class and why all 
adults should be in it. Set forth the inducement on 
emphatic placards, posted in the church and about town. 
Use the church paper, the town paper. Best of all, send 
a postal-card invitation (printed with type or on a mani- 
f older) to each adult member of the congregation, and 
then follow it up with personal urgings. 

A class organization is most helpful in such a canvass, 
and in the general conduct of the class ; it aids greatly in 
carrying out the ideal of an adult class that the members 
of the class should do as much as possible and the teacher 
as little as possible ! There should be a president, who 
should conduct the business of the class ; a secretary, to 
keep the constitution, records, and rolls ; a treasurer, to 
receive the contributions, and obtain the lesson helps 
and other supplies. The class should always vote on 
the supplies and on the gifts to missions or charitable ob- 



HOW TO BUILD UP THE ADULT BIBLE CLASS 137 

jects. When the teacher must be absent, the substitute 
teacher should be elected by the class, and the secretary 
should obtain his services. 

Committees.— Especially, there should be committees. 
The membership committee will seek to add to the class 
roll. It is a good plan to " vote in " every one that 
should join the class, and then appoint one member of 
the class a special committee to wait upon the member- 
elect and urge his acceptance. Of course this system of 
elections is only for the purpose of making folks feel 
that they are desired, and, after they join, that they " be- 
long." If it degenerates into the spirit of caste and 
clique, the class is ruined. It should all be as democratic 
as the gospel, and the wish for new members may well 
be proclaimed at each meeting, the secretary announcing 
the gain or loss, if any, of the past week. 

Then, there should be a social committee; for regular 
class socials, perhaps every two months, will do much to 
build up the adult department. These should be held, in 
turn, at the homes of the members. Elaborate refresh- 
ments should be rigidly barred. Some pleasant enter- 
tainment should be provided, but much time should be 
left for friendly conversation. Joint socials, with other 
adult classes similarly organized, are among the delight- 
ful possibilities. So are class picnics (no, I am not for- 
getting that I am writing about adults !), class attendance 
in a body on pleasant and profitable entertainments, and 
class excursions to libraries, museums, and places of his- 
torical or scenic interest. Such social episodes will do 
wonders to promote the class esprit de corps. 

Another useful bit of machinery is the " porch" com- 



138 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

mittee. whose duty it is to scan the church congregation, 
note the strangers, give them a hearty invitation to the 
class, and, if they consent, escort them thither. Various 
other committees will arise, as the work progresses, and 
an adult department, thus efficiently organized, will be- 
come a genuine power, not only in the school, but in the 
church and the community. 

The Bible Central. — For all this pleasantness, however, 
the kernel of success lies, of course, in the solid Bible in- 
struction given and received. Every detail of the class 
life must centre upon the Scriptures. Bibles should be 
plentiful in the class room. — enough for each scholar to 
have one. Let some bring the revision, let others bring 
the Greek, the Hebrew, the French or German. There 
should be maps on the wall. There should be a black- 
board. Fundamental reference books should be at hand ; 
if possible, a class library. Induce the scholars to buy 
commentaries and Bible dictionaries, the teacher combin- 
ing orders so as to get them at a reduction. Pictures on 
the wall, photographs of Bible scenery, a collection of 
Oriental curios — once set the class to gathering illustra- 
tive material, and it will flow in upon you. 

At the end of each lesson the adult class should carry 
away the satisfying sense of definite accomplishment. 
The use of a syllabus is a help to that end, — a set of 
topics or of questions, printed from type or on a mani- 
folder. These syllabi should be on uniform paper, that 
they may be preserved, and used on review day. Every 
lesson should close with a review, or swift summary. 
When review day comes, more or less elaborate essays or 
talks may be given by members of the class, taking up 



HOW TO BUILD UP THE ADULT BIBLE CLASS 139 

points of special interest connected with the past three 
months' work. Do not be afraid — or, rather, train the 
class not to be afraid — of occasional written tests, intro- 
duced on any Sunday. Frame questions that are com- 
prehensive, yet that can be answered in a very few words. 
Confine this exercise to ten minutes or less, and promptly 
excuse all who shrink from it. Indeed, in all the work 
of the class it is well to recognize in your mind a class 
nucleus of real students who are ready to be questioned 
by name and called upon for any service, and the class 
visitors and onlookers who prefer, because of timidity or 
ignorance, merely to sit and listen. While recognizing 
this division, seek constantly to carry the class members 
from the second class into the first. 

Interest the Men. — It generally is the me?i that are most 
ready to take part in the class discussions, and, alas ! it is 
everywhere the men that are hardest to interest in the 
class. For this reason (quite unfairly, I grant, but in 
their unselfishness the women will forgive it), the class 
work should be made to have a predominantly masculine 
character. In every way, cultivate the men. Introduce 
themes that will interest them. Draw your illustrations 
from business life. Make practical applications that will 
fit the work of men. Appoint a special " men's com- 
mittee," to enlarge the masculine membership of the class. 
The women — God bless them ! — will come of their own ac- 
cord.. 

Of course no one imagines that these few suggestions 
will completely solve the difficult problem of the adult 
department; but they will go far, I am sure, toward a 
solution of them, and they will point out the way to 



140 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

meet the unnamed and unexpected perplexities when 
they arise. Only, let every Sunday school be assured 
that an adult department is possible for it, and an adult 
department that is au entire and glorious success. 



CHAPTER XIX 

WHAT TO DO WITH THE HAEDER LESSONS 

What Makes a Lesson Hard ?— Usually the fact that it 
is not suited either to the circumstances or the mental 
development of your class. It may be too difficult for 
them, like a lesson from the first half of Romans for a 
class of little fellows ; or it may be too easy for them, like 
a lesson in the over-familiar story of Moses in the bul- 
rushes for a class of grown-ups. A lesson from the 
minor prophets that would be almost meaningless to a 
child of ten, might transform the whole life of that 
young Christian ten years later. The problem is to 
make Hebrews clear and interesting to the child, and to 
cram the account of Daniel in the lions' den with new 
significance for the adult. The problem is to transmute 
the milk for babes into meat for strong men, and the 
meat into the milk. It is not an easy problem, but it is 
one full of fascination and profit. Indeed, at bottom, it 
is the great problem of the teacher's art, — to clothe 
things hard and forbidding with the grace of naturalness 
and a winning charm. 

Therefore my advice to the teacher is that he do not 
groan over the harder lessons fretfully ; or shirk them, 
perhaps, by substituting easier ones. Leap upon them 
manfully, as foemen worthy of your steel. As Mark 
Tapley was overjoyed when at last he encountered a 

141 



142 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

situation wherein it was some credit to be jolly, so do 
you rejoice in a fair opportunity to test your pedagog- 
ical skill. 

Discover, if You Can, the Reason Why the Lesson was 
Selected. — Our International Lesson Committee are men 
of sense as well as scholars of erudition. They have in 
mind the whole school, and not one department of it. 
They realize deeply the immense interests entrusted to 
their care. They never do their work haphazard, nor 
select a lesson without good reason for the selection. 
If you can discover that reason, much of the difficulty 
of teaching the harder lessons will at once be removed. 

Then, meet the remaining difficulties fairly, and not 
with babyish evasions. If it is the second chapter of 
Ephesians which furnishes the lesson, do not prepare a 
few perfunctory points, and take to the class some article 
or story that is half appropriate, with which to pad out 
the time. Recognize the true topic,— death without 
Christ and life with Christ, — and determine that that 
particular truth shall become a part of your scholars' 
character. 

Do not hesitate, if the scholars or the other teachers 
complain about the lesson, to admit that it is difficult ; 
but appeal to their pride, as you have already aroused 
your own. Tell them, as Plato was fond of telling his 
disciples, that " good things are hard." Exhort them to 
face the problem with determination, sure that in the 
toughest rock lie hidden the biggest diamonds. 

Do not Permit the More Difficult Lessons to Steal a 
March Upon You.— It is an excellent plan to examine 
carefully the lessons for a year in advance, and discover 



WHAT TO BO WITH THE HARDER LESSONS 143 

which are going to present the greatest difficulty. Bear 
them in mind, then, for months before you come to them, 
and think about each one of them until you have found 
a solution for its perplexities. Thus upon some of the 
lessons you will focus two or three times as much labor 
as upon the easier ones. 

The superintendent, too, should give the teachers 
seasonable warning when a hard lesson draws near, 
urging them to make special preparation for it. He 
might wisely arrange to give more time to the teaching 
on that particular Sunday. Perhaps a greater service 
would be to procure some bright, suggestive speaker, 
who will take part of the time usually given to the open- 
ing exercises, and speak to the school, just before the 
lesson, not spoiling the lesson by anticipating its interest, 
but skilfully leading up to it and inspiring a zest for 
it. 

When the difficult lessons come along, then, if ever, is 
felt the need of a teachers' meeting, and then is the best 
time to start one, if your school lacks that unequaled pro- 
moter of efficiency. It would prove the entering wedge 
if the superintendent should call the teachers together just 
to study, under competent leadership, the lessons that pre- 
sent immediate difficulties. If they are brightly managed, 
these temporary meetings may well be transformed into a 
permanent institution. 

The minister, also, should lend a hand at this juncture. 
If he takes the interest in his Sunday school that a live 
minister will, the difficult lessons will appeal to him as a 
peculiar opportunity for service. Just before the lessons 
are to be taught he may preach a sermon, applying to 



144 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

them some illuminating principle that will prove to every 
teacher a guide through their labyrinth. If this is not 
practicable, he may assign the subject for some prayer 
meeting, advertise it thoroughly, and thus turn upon the 
hard lessons the wisdom of the entire church — that is, if 
your prayer meetings are the real thing ! 

The Teacher's Harder Study. — But, after all, the fate 
of the difficult lesson rests with the teacher, and not with 
the superintendent or the minister. Until he has made 
the lesson easy to himself, let him not expect to make it 
easy to any scholar. He must read more than usual, see- 
ing the lesson through many eyes. He must think more 
than usual, digesting and making his own these manifold 
thoughts of others. Especially, he must study the diffi- 
cult lesson in the large, see it in all its relations, get a 
sharp view of the events connecting it with preceding 
lessons, and look down upon the entire field from above, 
as one comprehends geography from a balloon. 

Simplify. — And then, having learned all you can about 
the lesson, see how much you can forget ! That is, do 
not try to teach all you know. Fix on the central 
theme, and do not admit a single detail that would 
confuse and distract. Adopt a simple outline. For no 
lessons is this so necessary as for the hard ones. Far 
more than is often realized, the teacher's art is the art of 
balance, of selection, of proportion ; and the more diffi- 
cult the subject, the greater the need of observing this 
principle. A very few things taught, and taught so as 
to be remembered, will make a successful lesson. 

Learn the Scholars' Difficulties. — So much for your 
mastery of the lesson ; but before you can adopt a teach- 



WHAT TO DO WITH THE HAEDEE LESSONS 145 

ing plan, you will need to form a clear idea of the diffi- 
culties your scholars will find in their preparation. There 
is no better way to discover these than bj^ actually go- 
ing over the lesson with some member of your class. 
Note where he hesitates and stumbles and appears 
stupid ; note the questions he asks ; observe the effect 
of your explanations, and use it all as indications of the 
way that lesson should be taught. 

A method even more thoroughgoing and effective is 
to hold a midweek meeting of your class for that es- 
pecial lesson — a study meeting, while the Sunday hour 
is to be a recitation meeting. This study meeting might 
beheld at your house, with some pleasant social features. 
After an hour spent together around a table, poring over 
Bibles, Bible dictionaries, Bible atlases, concordances, and 
other helps, not only will the class be brought closer to- 
gether than ever before and drawn nearer to their 
teacher, but they will have gained a new insight into 
the way to study — and all this in addition to a start on 
the difficult lesson which will make the coming recita- 
tion meeting a delight and a triumph. 

Some Novelty. — It is well to save for the harder les- 
sons whatever bright novelty you wish to acid to your 
teaching methods. By introducing it at that time you 
signalize the lesson as one of unusual importance, you 
add to its interest, and you insure its being better re- 
membered. 

For example, you may not yet have set your class to 
writing paraphrases of the Scripture text; you may not 
have divided the verses around, asking each scholar to 
write out a commentary on his verse, to be read in the 



146 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

class ; you may not have prepared an outline of the 
lesson and given copies of the outline to each scholar as 
a guide to his study ; you may not have prepared a set 
of questions on the lesson, requesting each member of 
the class to write out his answers before Sunday, so that 
they may be compared by the class, which will then 
vote on the best answer to each question. Any one of 
these little schemes would insure an exceptional amount 
of study and arouse the scholars to do their best. 

Special Essays. — Some lessons can best be treated by 
essays on their most difficult points, all members of the 
class sharing in the work ; if the same subject is assigned 
to more than one scholar, so much the better. For ex- 
ample, if your lesson is taken from the great argument 
in Romans for justification by faith, ask three members 
of the class to write five-minute essays on the book, giv- 
ing its general outline and the course of its argument. If 
the lesson is chosen from one of Jeremiah's prophecies, 
ask three scholars to write five-minute essays on the 
circumstances of Jeremiah's life and the evils against 
which he preached. Looking at a theme from three 
points of view, and repeating three times the fundamen- 
tals of the lesson, will greatly help to clear up the teach- 
ing and fix it in the memory. 

A Programme. — For variety, try sometimes a regular 
programme in place of the recitation. Let each scholar 
have a neat copy of the programme, to use in following 
the exercises and to take away with him. If your class 
meets in a separate room, announce the plan a week in 
advance, and ask the scholars to invite outsiders in to 
hear the exercises. If the lesson, for example, is on 



WHAT TO DO WITH THE HARDER LESSONS 147 

Christ's talk with Nicodemus, you might have one 
scholar prepare a talk on Nicodemus, the office he held, 
and why he came to Jesus by night, together with what 
is known of his later history. Another scholar will read 
an essay comparing this conversation with Christ's other 
conversations that are recorded, as to theme, manner, 
and results. A third scholar will write an essay on the 
new birth, its meaning and necessity. A fourth will give 
a Bible-reading, comparing the passage in John with 
other Scripture on the same subject. A fifth will read 
a commentary on the topic, — some passage from an 
eloquent sermon, perhaps. Two others will recite 
hymns or other poems upon the new birth. Still others 
will relate instances of the new birth, stories of modern 
conversions. You might close with a portion of Drum- 
mond's chapter on the new birth in his "Natural Law in 
the Spiritual World," and w r ith an earnest prayer for 
all present that have not been born again. Such a 
programme would signalize any lesson, and transform 
it from a hard, dull one, to a red-letter day in Sunday- 
school historjr. 

A Lecture. — A reversal of this method may be best, on 
occasion, — just a long talk, a lecture, given by the teacher 
or by some one called in for that particular lesson. For 
instance, the passage for that Sunday may be taken 
from the middle of the book of Job. Hardly could you 
do better than place a Bible in the hands of each scholar, 
and then let either you or some one who has made a 
special study of Job, go through the entire book, reading 
the finest passages, giving a running commentary, ex- 
hibiting the dramatic form and the structure of the great 



148 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

poem, and showing through it all its framework of 
superb doctrine. 

At the end of such a talk, or at the beginning, there 
might be a " quiz," brisk questions being fired back and 
forth. Even better would be a written test of the 
scholars' grasp of the subject, the questions being so 
framed that adequate answers can be very brief. 

Similar to this lecture from some outsider is the plan 
of an exchange of classes. If you take a new class and 
your class has a new teacher for the difficult lesson, what 
is lost from lack of knowledge of the scholars may be 
more than counterbalanced by their interest in the fresh 
face and novel methods. The new broom may sweep 
clean even the cobwebs of a tangled lesson. 

Sometimes a novel lesson help will serve the same 
purpose as a new teacher. Provide each scholar with 
some book, paper, or magazine which will help him study 
the lesson — something altogether different from the 
lesson help he is in the habit of using. This loan will 
be in itself a forcible hint for harder study than usual, 
and curiosity, if nothing higher, will lead to an ac- 
quaintance with the new book or paper. 

Whatever method is chosen for the difficult lesson, 
bear in mind the especial need of a review the next Sun- 
day, and plan to make it unusually thorough. Indeed, a 
review for several Sundays in succession, or until you are 
sure the subject is mastered, would be entirely in place. 
For there is no excuse for the Sunday school except as 
things are learned. 

It will be noticed that throughout this chapter I have 
spoken of the difficult lesson, and not of the lessons that 



WHAT TO DO WITH THE HARDER LESSONS 149 

are bard to teach because they are too easy and familiar. 
Nearly everything I have said, however, will apply, 
with little change, to the latter problem as well as the 
former. 

Be sure, teachers, that whatever difficulties surround a 
lesson, they may be conquered by a willing spirit and a 
thoughtful mind. Every lesson is a rough block of 
marble, with a statue inside it. Often, very often, it 
happens that the more hammering you must do to get 
the statue out, the more lovely appears the statue when 
at last it is discovered. To work, then, with hammer 
and chisel, and grace and grit to your elbows ! 



CHAPTER XX 

THE BIBLE IN THE CLASS 

Whatever else is taught in the Sunday school, it is 
mainly a school for Bible-study. " Bible school " is a far 
better name for it, were not the other name so firmly 
established. And yet there is many a class that does not 
study the Bible, but merely studies about it. The folly 
of this is sometimes recognized, and at once there springs 
up an unreasoning prejudice against lesson leaves and 
lesson helps of all kinds ; whereas these are of the great- 
est usefulness, it being only necessary to see that they do 
not drive out the Bible itself, but that this fundamental 
text-book is in the hand of every scholar, and is con- 
stantly and intelligently used. Let me give a few sug- 
gestions, first in regard to getting the Bibles into the 
Sunday school, and second in regard to using them when 
they are there. 

Appeal to the parents, perhaps by a circular letter or a 
public address, asking them to provide Bibles for their 
children. Let the school arrange with a dealer to fur- 
nish Bibles at a discount, and appoint one person to re- 
ceive orders from parents and scholars. If any parents 
are really too poor to buy Bibles, the school officers 
should quietly present copies through the teachers. 

Usable Bibles. — It is quite necessary, if these Bibles are 
to be used, that they should be usable. In all other 

150 



THE BIBLE IN THE CLASS 151 

books for children we sensibly insist on large, clear type. 
Why should the children's Bibles be illegible with fine 
type, thin paper, and poor print ? The children's other 
books are bright with beautiful pictures and brilliant 
with handsome bindings. Why should their Bibles be 
the most unattractive volumes they possess ? Is this the 
way to exalt the Scriptures in their childish minds ? 

No ; economize in any other direction in the Sunday 
school, but be liberal when you buy the children's Bibles. 
Get opaque paper, large type, leather binding. Let it be 
a reference Bible, with an atlas at the end, and all the 
helps of a teacher's Bible. If the parents can be per- 
suaded to have their children's Bibles interleaved, they 
will add much to their possible value. And I, for one, 
would never give a child the King James version. He 
is to be a child of the twentieth century, and he has a 
right to the most accurate obtainable translation of the 
words of Holy Writ, our Yictorian revision. 

Take the Bibles Home. — The Bibles being provided, 
should they be kept at the school? That plan saves 
trouble, but it wastes scholarship. A good Bible, and all 
the scholar's own, is the teacher's best inducement for 
home study; but not unless the Bible is carried home. 
Every class should have a number of extra Bibles, for the 
use of children that forget theirs, as well as for the use 
of visitors ; but ingenuity and persistence will prevail 
upon the scholars to bring their Bibles from home. 

The girls, and especially the boys, may feel shamefaced 
about carrying their Bibles through the streets. Though 
they will not admit it, they are woefully afraid of seeming 
"goody-goody." If, however, the entire school enters 



152 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

into a covenant to bring their Bibles, and young folks 
are seen scurrying, Bible in hand, down every street, 
what all boys do no boy will be afraid to do. The main 
difficulty is to get the fashion started. 

For this purpose I should have a careful record kept, 
by individual names in each class, of the Bibles brought 
every Sabbath ; and I should include the record, with 
comparative statements, in the secretary's report to the 
school. In addition, I should organize a " B. B. B." — 
u Bible Bringers' Band." Obtain badges bearing the 
cabalistic letters, and permit every scholar to wear a 
badge so long as he brings his Bible regularly ; but if he 
forgets it any Sunday, keep his badge for a month from 
that date. Present photographs of Bible scenes to all 
the scholars that can show a perfect "B. B. B." record 
for a year. 

But there is no use in getting the Bibles to the school 
unless you use them when there ; and, moreover, a bright 
use of them in the class will go far to insure their being 
brought. So we will pass to our second inquiry, — how to 
utilize the Scriptures in our class work. 

The Teacher's Own Bible. — In the first place, it must 
be urged that teachers use the Bible as the basis of their 
own study — not the teacher's monthly or the commen- 
tary or any other help; all these, though absolutely 
necessary, are distinctly secondary. Thorough familiar- 
ity with his great text-book will alone enable the teacher 
to appeal to the Bible for constant confirmation of his 
statements, for illustrations, for side-lights, for additional 
facts. Certainly for every use of secular careers, such as 
those of earth's Cromwells, Arthurs, Victorias, Wash- 



THE BIBLE IN THE CLASS 153 

ingtons, and Miltons, our Bible teachers should give their 
scholars citations of sacred biography, the lives of Moses, 
Samuel, David, Elijah, Paul. We are to emphasize 
Hible-stxxdy, and not, as is too often customary, the study 
of Jewish history along lines parallel with the history of 
Greece and Rome. If the teacher has not a manifest love 
of his Bible, and a flashing, finger-end acquaintance with 
it, there is no hope that he will inspire his scholars with 
either the love or the knowledge. 

Also, the school as a whole must use the Bible. It is 
the universal custom to read the day's lesson at the open- 
ing of the session, generally the superintendent and 
school reading alternate verses. Let this reading always 
be from the Bible and never from the lesson leaves. 
Often let it begin before the assigned lesson, or extend 
farther, or even let a selection be made from another 
portion of the Book. Open the school and close it with 
the reverential reading of some psalm in concert, and 
often change to fresh passages. In this way let the 
Bible become the book of the school, and it will far more 
likely become the book of the scholar. 

In the class itself, a good introduction to the lesson is 
the simple reading of the text in some version unfamiliar 
to the scholars, who will note the differences as they 
occur. The American version may be used in this way, 
the various renderings of the Bible in Scotch, in ordi- 
nary modern language, and in foreign tongues. If any 
scholar understands French, or Latin, or German, or 
Greek, encourage him to bring to the class the Scrip- 
tures in those languages. 

Illuminate every lesson with light from all the Bible. 



154 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

Set your scholars to constructing their own reference 
Bibles. Assign each verse of the lesson to a scholar, 
and teach him how, at home, to find other Scriptures 
illustrating its teachings, customs and facts. In the class 
recitations all this work will be combined. 

Bible-marking, by some simple yet comprehensive plan, 
will greatly promote the scholars' use of the Bible. At 
the end of the year the school may place on exhibition 
all the Bibles that have been thus used, giving prizes, 
perhaps, for the best work done. Such an exhibition 
may be made a most profitable occasion. In addition to 
the marked Bibles, a collection of all sorts of interesting 
Bibles may be placed on view, — Bibles in many lan- 
guages, old Bibles, rare Bibles, big Bibles, little Bibles, 
various versions, Bibles with special histories— a very 
carnival of Bibles. A little entertainment may also be 
provided, consisting of class drills in the use of the Bible, 
essays on the Bible and its history, recitations of striking 
Bible passages, and the like. All this will add to the 
school's interest in the Scriptures. 

Some Bible Drills. — I have mentioned Bible drills. 
Let me name a few. Such sprightly exercises as the 
following may occupy the first five minutes of every 
lesson. The scholars will enjoy them, and they will give 
the class familiarity with the Bible more rapidly, per- 
haps, than any other method, because they contain the 
element of play. Here are a few modes of Bible 
drill : 

1. Finding verses : " First Corinthians 2 : 5," — to see 
who can first turn to the passage and read it. 

2. The subject of the verse given concisely, the book 



THE BIBLE IN THE CLASS 155 

and chapter, but not the verse. Who will first find it ? 
As : " Bead the verse on giving in Acts 20." 

3. Famous passages indicated more obscurely, to be 
found as quickly as possible. For instance : " Isaiah's 
description of the Messiah. Paul's chapter on charity. 
The list of the twelve apostles. The Magnificat. The 
epistles to the seven churches." 

4. Who will first find a text on temperance ? on love ? 
on praj^er ? on sin ? 

5. Who can first find the sentence, " Thy faith hath 
saved thee ; go in peace " ? The phrase, " Apples of gold 
in baskets of silver " ? The proverb, " A soft answer 
turneth away wrath " ? 

6. Who can find the first reference to Paul that 
occurs in the Bible ? to Moses ? to Christ ? to Elijah ? 

7. Turn to the shortest verse in the Bible. The 
longest chapter. 

8. Find the Ten Commandments. The Shepherd 
Psalm. Moses' Psalm. The Sermon on the Mount. 
The Lord's Prayer. Paul's speech on Mars' Hill. 

Such exercises as these may be devised in great num- 
bers by the teacher, and used until the scholars develop a 
remarkable facility in the searching of Scripture. Occa- 
sionally let a member of the class be appointed drill- 
master, and put the scholars through their paces in- 
stead of the teacher. The drill must be conducted in a 
sprightly w T ay, and with entire good humor, if it is to be 
a success. 

You will not go far in the class use of the Bible with- 
out discovering the need of a class concordance and Bible 
index. Both of these, as found in our teacher's Bibles, 



156 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

are so incomplete as to be more tantalizing than 
useful. 

The presence of Bibles in the class is an especial ad- 
vantage at the outset of the lesson, when you study the 
connecting links of history binding the current lesson 
with its predecessor. If the scholars have not studied 
these intervening passages, have them open their Bibles, 
glance rapidly over the proper chapters, close the books, 
and then tell, as called upon, the facts they have thus 
gleaned. 

Once in a while, when you w 7 ant to stimulate some 
special scholar, it will be well to appoint him (or her) 
" Bible man " (or " Bible woman ") for the day. Then 
all questions relating to other parts of the Bible will be 
referred to him as they arise, and he will be expected to 
consult his Bible and discover the answers. 

Of course the teacher will take care not to confine this 
work to the few familiar books of the Bible. Open up 
to your scholars Hosea as well as John, Job as well as 
the Acts, Ezekiel as well as the Psalms. Make it a point 
to associate with each lesson as many Bible books as you 
can, thus giving your scholars each week a wide view 
over Holy Writ. 

A little record, easily made, which will serve as a de- 
cided incentive to the use of the Bible, is the following: 
Get your scholars, as soon as they are sure they under- 
stand everything on any page of the Bible, to write in 
the corner of the page the initials of their name ; they 
have made that page their own. At least one page will 
be marked each Sunday, and your class will be eager to 
see the conquered area grow. 



THE BIBLE IN THE CLASS 157 

Apply to the problem of Bible-study tangible little 
plans like this, showing your scholars definite results 
growing slowly but surely, and they will soon become 
fascinated with the noble occupation, and will carry it 
on from these little beginnings to the great results of 
genuine scholarship. 



CHAPTER XXI 

PATKIOTISM IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 

How can the study of the ancient Hebrews, so far 
away in space and time, be made to promote patriotism 
among our modern girls and boys ? 

The difficulty is all on the surface, for the problems 
that good citizens are trying to work out in our country 
are essentially the same problems that faced the best 
men and women of Bible times. What better illustra- 
tion of the evils of nepotism and of absentee government 
than the story of Eli and his sons ? Where, even in our 
own days, so favored in that particular, could one find a 
more admirable specimen of a demagogue than Absalom ? 
Do not our labor troubles echo the difficulties that arose 
among Pharaoh's brickmakers, and also among Solomon's 
builders, led by that " walking delegate," Jeroboam ? 
What an example does David's great sin furnish of the 
relations between the private and the public life of rulers ! 
How many points in our Bills of Rights were anticipated 
by the episode of Naboth's vineyard ! Goliath was made 
to know the power of a single young patriot, and Pilate's 
example should suffice to make manifest for all time the 
futility of mere expediency as against justice. 

Indeed, our modern civilization is based on the Bible; 
and, quite naturally, the Scriptures are the best text- 
book of patriotism. 

158 



PATRIOTISM IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 159 

The Patriotic View Broadens the Lesson. — It gives a 
new interest. It wakes up the scholars, who may have be- 
come sated with the ethical view, and tired of steady 
moralizing. It is especially helpful in classes of boys ; 
and these embryo citizens begin to see religion as the 
manly thing it is when they hear its application to men 
and affairs of the present-day world. 

To teach patriotism — in the Sunday school or anywhere 
else — one must be a patriot. If the great theme is on his 
heart, the teacher will find it in every lesson. 

Nor is it enough for a man to be a patriot in theory 
and feeling only — if such a thing is possible. No one 
can be an effective teacher of patriotism without a knowl- 
edge of his country, its history, its constitution, its gov- 
ernment, the condition of its citizens. Few matters are 
more profitable themes for the teacher's study than social 
conditions and economic problems, — the life of the poor, 
the temptations of the drunkard, incitements to gam- 
bling, the manifold misery of the slums, the often equal 
wretchedness of wealth. A knowledge of such facts will 
quicken sympathy and enlarge the understanding. It 
will vivify and explain much that is in the Bible, and the 
Bible in turn will solve the problems of the present day. 
Hardlj 7 can you do your scholars a more valuable service 
than by showing them how to bring the inspired wisdom 
of old into our modern living. 

The newspapers must be among your constant allies 
in this work, because they mirror your country's condi- 
tions — not perfectly, ah, no ! but better than any other 
medium. You must yourself be a vigorous newspaper- 
reader, not confining yourself to one paper, nor to the 



160 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

papers of one party. It would be an excellent plan to 
instruct your class also in the art of reading a news- 
paper wisely, — an art so few possess. To this end ap- 
point one scholar each week as the " newspaper reporter " 
for the class. Go over the papers with him every day, 
showing him what to read thoroughly, what to read only 
by title, and what to pass over as summarily as if it were 
poison. Show him how this incident and that are 
related to the truth of the next lesson, and get him to 
make before the class a report of such events. This ex- 
ercise will greatly aid in making the Bible a vital book 
for the children. 

Just one word of perhaps unneeded caution. Be care- 
ful in this newspaper work to treat fairly all parties, and 
all points in dispute among good people. Remember 
that you are likel\ r to have among your scholars or their 
parents representatives of all parties, and always discuss 
principles rather than parties or party leaders. 

The teacher of patriotism should read the writings of 
the great patriots wherever he can find them, and copy 
passages for future use. Note especially any reference 
to the Bible or any parallel to Bible events, and place 
copies of such utterances in your Bible at the passages 
which they illuminate. These echoes of the Bible in the 
words of great patriots will demonstrate to your scholars, 
more impressively than many words of your own, the 
truth and power of the Book. 

Most Sunday-school lessons have a national as well as 
a personal aspect. The teacher should not neglect the 
first, though it is confessedly more difficult to study and 
present. History in itself has a profoundly ethical 



PATRIOTISM IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 161 

value, if it is properly taught. There is far too little 
use by Sunday-school teachers of such impressive and 
fascinating histories of Bible times as the works of 
Geikie, Stanley, Edersheim, Sanders and Kent. They 
will teach you to take broad views, and will enable you 
to win and hold the most thoughtful and ambitious of 
the young people. 

Study Secular History. — It is a good practice for a 
teacher always to have on hand, as well, some secular 
history — the story of Holland, say; of Switzerland, of 
Greece, of England, of German}^ Russia, the United 
States, Japan. A new country might well be studied 
thus each quarter, noting as you proceed all illustrations 
of Bible truths and parallels to Bible history, jotting 
down the references on the margins of your Bible. 

For patriotism must come to have, to you and your 
class, a meaning far larger than the boundaries of your 
own country. You must come to see how all countries 
of the modern world are bound together bva network of 
vital interests, so that when one suffers all the others suf- 
fer with it. The highest patriotism strives to improve 
its own land, that it may the more effectively bless the 
world. 

Study Biography. — In emphasizing the need of the 
study of history, I do not intend to imply that biography 
is to occupy a secondary place, for biography is only his- 
tory taken to pieces and seen at close range. The life 
stories of the Hebrew heroes are best illustrated by the 
biographies of modern patriots — Moses by Lincoln, Jona- 
than by Wolfe, Gideon by William of Orange. The 
more you study the Bible and the more you study 



162 SUJSTDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

national biography, the more fascinated you will be with 
the correspondences and illuminations you will discover. 

If you have a boys' class — and many a class of girls 
would also find it interesting — organize it into a Chris- 
tian Patriot's League. Design a banner for it and a badge. 
Hold occasional special meetings, especially on the 
national holidays ; but the regular meetings will occupy 
the five or ten minutes of the Sunday-school hour that 
are devoted to the patriotic aspects of the lesson. 

Make use of patriotic recitations whenever you can. 
All your scholars should know by heart the national 
songs, so that they may be repeated in concert when 
they are suitable. 

Portraits of eminent patriots will be useful to add 
vividness to such work as I am outlining. They may be 
cut from periodicals, neatly mounted, and kept in alpha- 
betic order ready for the proper lessons. Pictures of 
landscapes with soul-stirring associations, and of houses 
connected with the lives of national heroes, may be used 
in the same w 7 ay. 

The lessons that may be taught from such studies are 
personal, as well as national, because a nation can be 
pure and strong only as its citizens are capable and good. 
The great international question of arbitration, for in- 
stance, is fruitful in its suggestions of individual kindli- 
ness and justice. The long struggle of the Hebrew na- 
tion with idolatry has a thousand applications to the cor- 
rupting idols that we are all likely to set up in our souls. 

A word must be said about the superintendent and the 
general exercises of the school, and how they also can 
teach patriotism. 



PATRIOTISM IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 163 

Occasionally some Christian office-holder may be ob- 
tained for a few words to the school. This address will 
mean much, especially to the boys, and will exalt im- 
mensely in their esteem not only the Sunday school but 
also the entire subject of religion. 

As the national holidays come along, recognize them 
in the general exercises of the school. Use decorations 
in which the flag is prominent. Have some scholar give 
an appropriate recitation. Select the songs with refer- 
ence to the occasion. Kemind the school of the day, and 
in a few words urge upon the scholars the love of their 
country and loyalty to it. 

Patriotic Prayers. — Most important of all, let the su- 
perintendent, as he opens the sessions with prayer, never 
forget the country, but in thanksgiving and petition lay 
its interests before the Almighty. The scholars them- 
selves may offer a patriotic prayer, committing to mem- 
ory some such hymn as " God bless our native land," 
and repeating it reverently in concert, standing as they 
do so. 

Many more suggestions and plans might be added, but 
what I have given is enough to direct the attention of 
Sunday-school workers to this most important but sadly 
neglected subject. If the next generation is to be one 
on which our country can safely rest,. its patriotism must 
be planted now while they are young. If that patriotism 
is to be substantial and fruitful it must be upheld by re- 
ligion, and in no place better than the Sunday school can 
the love of country be intertwined with the love of God. 



CHAPTEK XXII 



" Oh, that book is Sunday-schooly ! " 

" Pooh ! It's a Sunday-schooly song ! " 

" Pshaw ! That's Sunday-school talk ! " 

Who hasn't heard such sneers ? And who, that is a 
Christian, has not been pained by them ? 

There is no denying it : to affix the term " Sunday 
school " to a thing is to discredit it in the eyes and ears 
of many persons. " Sunday-schooly " is a sort of syn- 
onym for "namby-pamby" and "goody-goody." 

A False Impression. — Now, all well-informed Chris- 
tians know that this common impression is a false one. 
They know that the Sunday school is one of the noblest 
of earth's institutions, manly and womanly, and the 
making of men and women. How are we to correct this 
false impression? How are we to exalt the adjective, 
" Sunday-school," in the dictionary of the world ? 

The fact that these sneers have their origin with the 
ignorant and the malicious does not free us from the 
necessity of refuting them. Though they spring from 
the brains of infidels, they soon come to influence the 
thinking even of believers ; and, though at first they are 
caught up by those that know nothing of the Sunday 
school through experience, before long they fill with 
doubt and unrest even the teachers and officers of our 
schools. 

164 



" SUNDAY-SCHOOLY " 165 

Of course, jests and criticisms, though false, are in a 
sense tributes to the vitality and power of the Sunday 
school. Men do not ridicule and oppose dead things and 
nonentities. But this sort of tribute the Sunday school 
can best do without. 

It is the measure of truth in these innuendoes that barbs 
their satire. Those are false friends of the Sunday 
school, however loud their laudations, that will admit no 
need of improvement in the institution. In fact, I be- 
lieve that within the present century the Sunday school 
has to take as many and as great steps in advance as it 
took during its first hundred years. It is for all Sun- 
day-school workers to accept hints for progress from 
whatever source, even from those who deserve to be 
classed among the foes of the Bible school. 

" Sissy Talk." — Many of the sneers for which " Sunday- 
schooly " stands are based upon the alleged " sissy talk " 
heard in Sunday schools. "Now, my dee-ah children 5 " 
the teacher or superintendent is represented as saying, 
" you all want to die and go to heaven, don't you ? 
As many as would like to, may hold up their hands. 
Yes, that is good, very good indeed, my dee-ah chil- 
dren." 

The comic papers, and the humorous departments of 
some of our magazines that should be in better business, 
often put such silly harangues in the mouths of supposed 
visitors, whom the superintendent asks to "say just a 
few words to the children." He begins in some such 
way as this : 

"You must be good, children, and mind your paws 
and maws, and your kind teachers in the Sunday school. 



166 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PEOBLEMS 

You love your kind teachers, don't you, children ? As 
many as love your teachers, hold up your hands. That 
is exceedingly gratifying, children ; a very creditable 
manifestation." 

Of course, those that are familiar with the modern Sun- 
day school recognize this as an absurd caricature of the 
kind of talk heard there. It may have been heard in the 
Sunday schools our fathers attended ; at least, the comic 
writers have established a tradition of such talk. It may 
still be found in some out-of-the-way schools. But in the 
average school this wishy-washy mode of addressing the 
children is about as rare as Hindustani. 

How can we give the lie to this slander, and dis- 
credit its perpetrators? Only by seeing to it that no 
" baby talk" is allowed in our Sunday schools. It is al- 
ways wiser to talk a little over the heads of children 
than to "talk down" to them. They will forgive pon- 
derous sentences, and will respect them even when they 
do not understand them ; but baby talk they will not 
forgive. Teachers should constantly keep in mind the 
most mature of the class, and not, in their care for the 
more stupid and childish, neglect the quick and eager 
scholars. Most children, indeed, are intelligent beyond 
what they disclose except to the most keen and sympa- 
thetic questioners, and teachers are generally safe in 
trusting them a little beyond what appearances and 
replies would warrant. 

And then, as to giving invitations to address the Sun- 
day school, that should be done very seldom, and with 
the very greatest care. It is a good rule to allow no one 
to use those precious moments of the open session except 



167 

on business, with a definite purpose in view. The privi- 
lege of addressing a Sunday school should be guarded 
as jealously as if it were Congress or Parliament. 

Pert Replies. — One of the stock themes of the comic 
paragraphers, in connection with these imaginary talks 
to the Sunday school, is the pert reply put in the mouth 
of some urchin. It would be easy to make a large col- 
lection of these Sunday-school sayings of children, most 
of them impudent, all of them absurd, and nearly all of 
them manufactured or grossly exaggerated. We have all 
heard Sunday-school speakers that questioned the chil- 
dren ; but who of us has ever heard a reply so startlingly 
ignorant and ingeniously comical as those in which the 
comic papers abound? 

These alleged "smart" sayings injure the Sunday 
school. They make us appear to be instructors in pert- 
ness. They represent our schools as full of forward 
chits, tolerated and even encouraged. I do not think I 
am overrating the mischievous influence of these skits. 

To counteract them, we must, in the first place, refrain 
from quoting them. Unfortunately they are too often 
repeated by thoughtless Christians, and I have even 
heard them related in talks to the children themselves. 
A fine example for them ! In the second place, when we 
hear these stories, we need not laugh. Our sober silence 
will be a protest, even if we do not care to utter an open 
rebuke. And in the third place, when we talk to the 
children, we must make our questions so explicit, our 
thoughts so clear, and our bearing so reverent, that such 
answers as I have described would be most unlikely to be 
given. 



168 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

The phrase, " Sunday-school books," has been for many- 
years a term of contempt. In the old days of dismal 
memoirs, whose heroes and heroines were always preter- 
naturally good and invariably short-lived, this contempt 
might have been deserved. Now, however, when the re- 
ligious literature for children is so varied, attractive, sub- 
stantial, and in every way admirable, "a Sunday-school 
book" should be a title of honor. But old prejudices die 
hard, and this among them. 

I suppose the only way to erase this impression regard- 
ing Sunday-school books is for each worker to insist on 
the literary as well as the religious value of all that are 
placed in the particular library with which he has to do. 
The school should have a library committee, selected 
with great care, and made up of the most intelligent 
Christians in the church. When you get a capable com- 
mittee, keep them as long as they will serve. The books 
should be chosen, not merely because they are good, but 
because they are good for something. The} 7 should be 
well-written as well as well-intentioned. Crude English, 
extravagant or silly plot, and morbid views of life should 
not be tolerated. The catalogues of all publishers should 
be scanned, and correspondence should be had with other 
workers, to learn of the best books they have discovered. 
In proportion as our schools avail themselves of the 
splendid range of fascinating religious books by the best 
authors now accessible, this reproach of " Sunday-school 
books " will die away. 

Sunday-school Music. — Similar things may be said of 
Sunday-school songs. There is not a cultivated musician 
whose lip does not curl at the mention of them. 



" SUNDAY-SCHOOLY " 169 

" Twaddle ! " he exclaims. " Rubbish ! Silly and mean- 
ingless doggerel set to trashy, tinsel tunes ! " 

In the main, it is to be feared that the musician is 
right, and this in spite of the fact that unexceptionable 
Sunday-school song-books exist — books made by Chris- 
tians of true literary and musical ability, whose songs 
sing themselves sweetly to the mind and memory as well 
as to the tympanum. But where these are sold by the 
thousand, the jinglers and janglers are sold by tens and 
hundreds of thousands. 

It is not necessary to set the children to singing " Old 
Hundred " (though that would not hurt them) in order 
to avoid these tumty-tum tunes with their empty words. 
I certainly am not urging a Sunday-school programme of 
Te Deums. It is entirely possible to provide the school 
with music that is not heavy and words that are not be- 
yond the children's understanding, yet both music and 
words shall be of the purest beauty. And in proportion 
as that is done, will this old sneer at the Sunday school 
pass away. 

"Sunday-school teaching" is another phrase that car- 
ries with it a certain contempt. It is supposed to be 
slipshod, the reverse of thorough and scholarly. It is 
compared unfavorably with that of the secular schools. 

Often, of course, the reproach is justified, though the 
unceasing wonder should be that, with voluntary attend- 
ance, with only half an hour a week, with little or no 
study on the part of the scholar, and with unpaid teach- 
ers, the instruction in our Sunday schools is as good as it 
is. But it is constantly growing better. Our ideals are 
rising. The advantages of grading and of examinations 



170 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

are coming to be understood. Normal classes and teach- 
ers' meetings are more and more used and valued. Defi- 
nite results are sought from the scholars, and, being 
sought intelligently and persistently, are gained. The 
discredit of Sunday-school teaching is being removed. 

"Hop, Skip, and Jump." — Much of this discredit has 
sprung from what has been so repeatedly urged against 
what it has pleased some to call the " hop-skip-and-jump " 
method of Sunday-school study. In reality, if we admit 
that some parts of the Bible are to be studied more care- 
fully than others, it is hard to see how we are to avoid a 
little saltatory exercise in getting to them. 

But the sting of the criticism may be removed only by 
careful attention to the surroundings of every lesson, and 
the interspaces between them. We may linger longer in 
Genesis and Joshua than in the intervening books of the 
Hexateuch, but let us walk through them, how r ever 
rapidly, and not jump over them. Let us take broad 
views. Let us give our scholars an understanding of the 
Book as a whole. Let us rightly divide, when we divide 
at all, the Word of truth. 

The Traditional Picnic. — There are many traditional 
features of the Sunday school at which men poke fun. 
One of them is the Sunday-school picnic, that imaginary 
compound of ants and sandwiches, jelly and trousers, 
lost boys and distracted guardians. We must remove 
the slight foundation of truth on which this hilarious 
fiction is built, if we want to see it fall to the ground. 
Our Sunday-school picnics must be well-planned and 
well-officered. Enough older folks must go to give the 
affair dignity and stability. They must be made worth 



" SUKDAY-SCH00LY " 171 

while, — not mere occasions of fret and anxiety. Suffi- 
cient amusement must be furnished, carefully thought out 
in its minutest details. Let the food be abundant and 
good, but do not allow the affair to centre on the feast. 
Aim at higher things, at the school's best interests 
through merry intercourse of scholar and teacher and 
the ingathering of strangers. If this is done, the 
antique jests concerning Sunday-school picnics will be 
forgotten. 

The Reluctant Scholar., — Another picture in the Sun- 
day-school gallery, as popular fancy has it, shows the 
unfortunate boy, in stiff, best clothes, led unwillingly to 
Sunday school, looking longingly at the bold, bad boy 
who taunts him from behind a fence, he being on the 
way — lucky fellow ! — to the trout pool or the swimming 
hole. The view of the case is reinforced by numberless 
jokes based on the Christmas tree, and the suspicious in- 
crease of the school just before the season of gifts. 

A growing number of Sunday schools are aiding in 
the demolition of these jests by a vigilant eye on the 
attendance all the year around, and especially by making 
the school so attractive that the children will need no 
compulsion, but will attend gladly, and even feel vastly 
aggrieved if compelled to remain at home. 

There are other slurs to which the Sunday school is 
subjected. There is the traditional collection, with its 
buttons and its lead coins. When our schools every- 
where adopt the envelope system of class collections, and 
set before the scholars positive aims for their giving, 
adopting some different object of benevolence perhaps 
every month, then we shall hear the last of this slur. 



172 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

Also, there is the traditional superintendent, patroniz- 
ing the boys, chucking the girls under the chin, hammer- 
ing his call-bell, and preaching a tedious sermon on the 
lesson in the course of the opening exercises. He, too, 
is passing from men's minds, as school after school hunts 
out for its superintendent a warm-hearted, level-headed 
business man, of few words, of prompt decision, and of 
quiet manner. 

No Sunday-school worker should disregard the cari- 
catures of this beloved Christian institution, or care- 
lessly leave them to die a natural death. The honor of 
the Sunday school is in our hands. We cannot afford to 
close our eyes to its faults, and we must learn to dis- 
entangle the helpful truths from the malicious falsehoods 
in these sneers and jests ; we must profit from the former 
while we repel and rebuke the latter. 

As all workers, from the most humble teacher to the 
members of the International Committee, thus seek with 
fearless zeal the improvement of the Sunday school, it 
will grow better and better, and the ridicule of it will 
grow less and less, until some day these jests will be 
swallowed up in universal love and applause. 



CHAPTER XXIII 

CHK1STIAJST EVIDENCES IK THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 

I am the proud possessor of a Sunday-school hobby. 
Really, my stable is full of such hobbies, but one of them 
towers high above the others, like the wooden horse of 
the Greeks in a modern toyshop. 

I have bestowed upon this hobby horse the descriptive 
name, Proveit. Proveit is a determined and sagacious 
steed. He is an old warhorse, and bears the wounds of 
many a battle. Blow but a single note upon the bugle, 
and my good steed, Proveit, pricks up his ears. 

His food is facts, ground fine in the mill of logic. He 
can do his mile a minute any day, yet he does not dis- 
dain the plow and the harrow. He is worth a score of 
those witless nags named Evasion, Sayso, and Takeit- 
forgranted. 

I am not shut up to a single horse ; thank heaven, no 
Sunday-school teacher is; but if I were, that horse 
should be Proveit, and I should count on his pulling my 
pedagogical carryall triumphantly over any road and up 
to any goal. 

In fine, to drop allegory, which so easily becomes 
tangled and tiresome, I proclaim myself a bigoted 
enthusiast regarding the use of Christian Evidences in 
the Sunday school. If you will let me tell you a bit of 
my own experience, it will explain my zeal, and serve 
me, perhaps, as a text. 

173 



174 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

When I was a boy, I had the most devoted of Sunday- 
school teachers. They were holy women, for the most 
part, consecrated, painstaking, prayerful. They did 
more for me than the conceited boy realized, and more 
than the still-conceited man can ever hope to de- 
serve. 

But one thing they did not do for me: they did not 
discover my doubts ; and since they did not discover 
them, naturally they did not dispel them. I was only a 
boy, but I doubted the inspiration of Scripture, the 
authenticity of miracles, the divinity of Christ, the 
Trinity, the atonement. Unitarian tracts came my 
way, and Unitarian preaching also, fascinating and 
forcible, and I was more than half convinced. 

All this time I was going regularly to Sunday school, 
answering orthodox questions in the orthodox way, and 
my teachers knew no more about my real mental con- 
dition than about the Shah of Persia's. One blessed 
woman among them wrote me a letter once a year 
urging me to join the church, and one noble man asked 
me once if I called myself a Christian. I replied that I 
did, and he was satisfied. I did, but I wasn't. 

Then, as I became a young man and a teacher of 
others, I entered upon that period of inner struggle 
which more young men pass through than is often 
realized, the struggle between faith and infidelity. My 
friends, my desires, and all the influences that descended 
from Baptist grandparents and Presbyterian parents 
urged me to orthodoxy. My own unassisted and un- 
instructed reasonings pushed me irresistibly into the 
blackness of doubt. 



CHRISTIAN EVIDENCES IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 175 

"Believe it, because it is in the Bible," I was told; 
but I was also told that the Bible required me to believe 
that Joshua caused the earth to stand still, and I was 
teaching astronomy. I wanted the Bible proved, before 
men proved statements by the Bible ; and no one, in 
Sunday school or outside it, went that far. 

It was at this time, when I was greatly troubled over 
the matter, that I dug up out of a dusty corner in the 
college library a book I shall always hold in reverence, — 
Mark Hopkins's " Evidences of Christianity." Well do 
I recall the thrill with which I read that volume. It 
opened a new world to me, the world of reason, as 
against mere authority, in religion. I had been taught 
to reason in a circle : " This statement is the inspired 
truth of God because it is in the Bible. It is in the 
Bible because it is the inspired truth of God." Mark 
Hopkins's " Evidences of Christianity " lifted me out of 
that circle. It showed me that Christianity stands con- 
fidently among the provable facts. It disclosed the 
reasonableness of the supernatural, demonstrated the 
authenticity of the Scripture record, and established a 
foundation for faith on which, with joy and surety, I 
have built my stronghold of creed. I have since found 
other books of the kind, which I prefer, and the ideal 
remains to be written; but I and thousands of others 
look forward to meeting Mark Hopkins in the land of 
open vision, and thanking him for the manly service he 
has rendered. 

Now that service, I contend, should have been done 
me in the Bible school and the church. — My faith or 
infidelity should not have been left to the chance dis- 



176 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

co very of a book on Christian Evidences. Nor should 
the same risk be run in the case of any child. 

I insist that the Bible is not even half taught until we 
teach the reasons for believing it, and at every point 
arm our scholars against the skepticism of the age. Un- 
less they are able to give a reason for the faith that is in 
them, nowadays they are not likely to keep any faith in 
them very long, still less to inspire faith in others. 

The study of Christian Evidences should be inter- 
woven with all lessons in all grades, and in the older 
classes exclusive attention should be given to it in oc- 
casional courses of study. It will put backbone into 
Bible history, vivify all your exegesis, vitalize all your 
theology, bind your lessons together with a sturdy 
thread, and give your scholars the zeal of crusaders, each 
assuming that royal title, Defender of the Faith. 

I know that there are objections to the teaching of 
Christian Evidences in the Sunday school. 

In the first place, it is said that the discussion of Christian 
Evidences suggests more doubts than it settles. The asser- 
tion is : " Take it for granted that the Bible is in all points 
true, and it will not occur to your scholars to doubt it." I 
wish that were so, but it is not, as every teacher and 
every parent will testify. " Where did all the frogs come 
from? "the children are sure to pipe, in studying the 
Exodus. " Could I walk on the water, if I tried, as well 
as Peter ? Why not ? Where did Cain get his wife ? 
If Jesus was God, why did he pray to God ? Where 
did the ravens get the food they brought to Elijah ? 
Why was Achan's whole family killed with him ? " — What 



CHRISTIAN EVIDENCES IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 177 

teacher is there to whom such questions are not as famil- 
iar as the alphabet ? 

The impression made on many a worried teacher is 
that these puzzlers are brought out merely to perplex 
and annoy. That may have come to be the case, but I 
believe that at the start they were honest inquiries, not 
to be repeated if honestly and satisfactorily answered. 

But when the teacher does not meet them fairly, when 
he hesitates and shuffles, when he procrastinates and 
evades, the young folks come not unnaturally to the con- 
clusion that their questions cannot be answered, that the 
teacher is afraid to meet them, and they grow up with 
the uneasy impression that religion is based on unsound- 
ness and unreason. 

Very likely the scholar will go on, at least for a time, 
meekly answering the teacher's leading questions as the 
teacher plainly desires them to be answered, nourishing 
discontent and rebellion in his breast. Sometimes an in- 
cautious query on the part of the usually prudent in- 
structor will disclose the lurking infidelity. Then there 
will be a flash of defiant, bold denial that will startle the 
teacher and the class. 

Well do I remember such an instance. It was a young 
man, a church-member of long standing, a college grad- 
uate and then a teacher, and he had been under my Sun- 
day-school guidance for months without my suspecting 
his doubts. One day, in private conversation, I touched 
somewhat probingly his inner convictions, and to my 
amazement he confessed almost absolute infidelity. 
Brought up in the atmosphere of easy acceptance of 
Christianity which I have described, joining the church 



178 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PEOBLEMS 

without any careful scrutiny of the foundations of his 
faith, the intellectual clashings of college life had knocked 
to pieces that flimsy structure of belief, and he found 
himself without Christ and well-nigh without God. 

It should not have been possible for that young man 
to remain in my class for those months without my dis- 
covering his real attitude toward the gospel. Such an 
incident should not be possible in any class. Probably I 
am not far wrong in saying that nine-tenths of our 
classes would yield just such cases if the teachers should 
search out, frankly and sympathetically, their pupils' true 
opinions. 

These young folks are thinking, nowadays, far more 
deeply than we give them credit for. I was impressed, 
one Sunday, by some conversation I heard on the way 
home from a certain church. The sermon had been a 
plain, simple talk on some matter of ethics, easy of in- 
stant understanding in every part, and very likely sim- 
plified by the good man who preached, in the hope that 
something of what he said might be appropriated by the 
lambs of the flock. Two of those lambs were walking 
before me, — two young boys ; and what do you think 
they were talking about ? The theory of evolution ! 

That was in Boston, you say. Yes, it was ; but every- 
where, I believe, we older folks are greatly underrating 
the capacity of young heads for serious thought. Infidel- 
ity floats in the air as pervasive as gnats in August. 
Young folks are keen to catch up hints, and shrewd at 
expanding them. This is in truth what it is so often 
called, "an age of doubt," and the Sunday school should 
be the church's main barrier against that doubt. 



CHRISTIAN EVIDENCES IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 179 

So far is it from being true that a full and frank dis- 
cussion of Christian Evidences will suggest doubts and 
promote skepticism that I believe the very opposite to be 
the case. I believe that a great deal of the prevailing 
skepticism, a skepticism much more far-reaching than is 
often appreciated because ic so frequently lurks in the 
church itself, — I believe that much of this pervading 
doubt and unrest is due to the universal neglect of Chris- 
tian evidences in teaching and preaching. 

Especially I believe that the measurable desertion of 
the Sunday school and church by the young men and the 
men full-grown is due to the same cause. Any neglect 
to place Christianity on the manly basis of proof, un- 
rhetorical, clear-headed, logical proof, is certain to alien- 
ate the men. There are no statistics — would that there 
were ! — dealing with the masculine as distinct from the 
feminine element in our Sunday schools and churches, 
but any one's observation will prove to him that young 
men and older men are chiefly found, other things being 
equal, in those churches where a definite system of doc- 
trine is taught with the most aggressive and sturdy con- 
sistency. There are few things that men like better than 
a Q. E. D. 

But I can hear some one raising this objection : 
"The Bible is an inspired book," he says, "and I want to 
teach it like an inspired book. It is not like other books. 
It is self-evidencing. It needs no assistance from human 
reason, no bolstering of human logic. I need only pre- 
sent its great truths and leave them to do their certain 
work. To apply human logic is to discredit the authority 
of Scripture and virtually to deny its inspiration." 



180 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

In answer to this objection, — an objection which is 
merely felt quite as often as it is urged openly, — I wish 
first to say that I do not like the words, " human logic." 
Logic, whenever it is logic and not mere pompous asser- 
tion, is divine. Reason is of God and not of the dust or 
the devil. 

Unreason is to be feared, always ; but reason, never. 
It is by reason and logic that we conclude the Bible to 
be inspired, and the doctrine of inspiration has nothing 
to fear from reason and logic. Indeed, it has everything 
to fear from their opposites. 

It is a commonplace of religious history that the 
churches have been weakest under a regime of bald au- 
thority, and strongest where reason and logic, evidence 
and proof, are most thoroughly used in their behalf. * 
Protestants, of all men, should remember that fact. To 
say, " You must believe this because it is in the Bible," 
is to adopt the method of the Church of Eome, and is to 
insure a plentiful and increasing crop of skepticism. 

First prove the Bible, and then draw your proof-texts 
from it. How it dishonors the inspired Volume to assert 
that an exhibition of the evidence of its inspiration will 
detract from its authority ! Nowhere is that authority 
stronger than among those who can give a reason for the 
faith that is in them. 

If you want to bring up in the Sunday school a set of 
young people who will revere the Bible as the veritable 
word of God to sinful, suffering men, who will esteem as 
sacred its every sentence, draw their lives from its pages 
and defend it from all hostility, you will accomplish this not 
by emotional appeals, skin-deep illustrations, flimsy sym- 



CHRISTIAN EVIDENCES IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 181 

bols, and domineering ipse dixits, but by the quiet laying 
of reason's foundation stones, upon which the lofty 
structure will rise, course bound to course with the firm 
cement of logic. It is in the conviction that in no other 
way can the authority of Scripture be laid with con- 
vincing and permanent power upon the hearts of men 
that I urge the teaching of Christian evidences. 

But yet one more objection is raised against this proof- 
giving that I advocate, namely, that it will lead to long 
and profitless debates in the lesson hour. I have even 
heard it charged that Sunday-school teachers, at a loss 
for material with which to fill up the time, deliberately 
provoke discussions of knotty points, a favorite being, of 
course, the question of miracles. 

Such wrangling is as far as possible from my thought, 
and is entirely unnecessary in the teaching of Christian 
evidences. Indeed, I think it far more likely to take 
place when Christian evidences are not taught than 
w T hen they are. If these points of doubt are evaded, the 
suspicious and indignant scholars are likely, from min- 
gled contempt and mischief, to bear them in mind and 
bring them up again and again. 

On the contrary, whenever a query is raised or a diffi- 
culty presented, it should be met promptly, heartily, and 
decisively. Give a sharp, clear-cut statement of the rea- 
son, the evidence, the proof. If you cannot do it, frankly 
admit your ignorance and promise to have an answer 
ready a week hence ; then keep your promise, though you 
must consult every doctor of divinity in town. The next 
thing to wisdom, you know, is honest confession of igno- 
rance. 



182 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

If the question is not prompted by honest doubt, say 
that you will answer it in private, after the class. Then 
do it. Take the same course if the question is one quite 
foreign to the lesson theme. Also, if there is a tendency 
to debate after you have stated the reason or the proof, 
cut it short by the same device, postponing discussion till 
after the school is dismissed. No teacher should allow 
himself to be side-tracked, nor will he, if he knows his 
business. 

I have just said that doubts are to be met and an- 
swered as soon as they are expressed in the class. I 
should go further. Doubts are to be answered before 
they reach the point of expression ; nay, before they arise 
at all in the scholar's mind. The best teaching of that 
straightforward thing, Christian evidences, is by indirec- 
tion. The class is unconsciously fortified against skepti- 
cism. 

It is a great mistake for the teacher to introduce the 
subject of infidelity and openly to combat it. Ingersoll 
would have made very little stir in the world were it not 
for the advertising he got from Christian denunciations. 

The teacher should know at what points the Bible is 
assailed most commonly. To that extent and for that 
purpose only, he might well have a personal knowledge 
of infidel writers. He cannot guard his class against the 
foe unless he knows from what quarter and in w 7 hat man- 
ner they will attack. But the less the scholars know 
about the names of infidels, their books, and their argu- 
ments, the better. Some teachers and preachers apply 
the principle of vaccination, and introduce a little of the 
virus of infidelity, thinking that by counteracting this 



CHRISTIAN EVIDENCES IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 183 

specimen portion they will render their scholars immune 
against the disease. Generally they are merely implant- 
ing an appetite for more. 

The teaching of Christian evidences for which I plead 
is positive, and not negative ; instructive, and not com- 
bative ; a riveting of the structure of faith rather than a 
launching of thunderbolts against its assailants. The 
teacher should remember his own doubts of former years, 
and recall how he overcame them. He should talk with 
his scholars frankly and frequently on these great themes, 
so as to note the beginnings of doubts before they them- 
selves are quite aware of them. In preparing every les- 
son he should ask himself this invariable question : 
" What points in this passage will seem difficult of belief, 
either now or in after years? What opportunity does 
the lesson give for the strengthening of faith on the fun- 
damentals of Christianity ? " It is a preventive work 
that I am advocating, and not an aggressive work; the 
planting of good seed, thick and sure, and not the up- 
rooting of weeds. Class wrangles and fretful arguments 
are no more necessary an accompaniment of the teaching 
of Christian evidences than of the teaching of geometry. 

One other objection, and one only, remains to be men- 
tioned. Some are afraid that persistent and thorough 
attention to Bible proofs will put religion on a merely in- 
tellectual plane. No one would deprecate this more than 
I would. All religion is more of the heart than the 
head, and the deepest truths of religion are inscrutable 
mysteries to the mind. A merely intellectual religion is 
as dead as a skeleton in the physiologist's laboratory. 

But if a merely intellectual religion is a skeleton, a 



184 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

merely emotional religion is invertebrate, and it is about 
as bad to have flesh without a backbone as to have back- 
bone without the flesh. Even the heart must have a 
bony casket for defense and support, and even the most 
profound religious mysteries, such as the atonement and 
the Trinity, are believed upon reasonable grounds or not 
actually at all. 

There is far more danger, with the average teacher, 
that Sunday-school instruction should give too little for 
the head than that it should give too little for the heart. 
Heart appeals draw their material from common life and 
feeling. They are easily made, and, usually, as easily 
forgotten. They suggest themselves in connection with 
all lessons, they are fully treated in all our lesson helps, 
they demand for their study and presentation little orig- 
inality or labor. 

Christian evidences, on the other hand, require some 
research and study. One must be prepared for objec- 
tions and further inquiries. Material for this mode of 
teaching is not easily accessible, nor to be mastered with- 
out diligent application, nor to be presented effectively 
without originality and skill. Often, I fear, it is the 
sluggishness of teachers, rather than their assumed fear 
of placing religion on a merely intellectual basis, that 
holds them to questions of feeling and conduct, and away 
from discussions of evidence and fact. 

But if the teacher will seriously undertake these stud- 
ies, if he will earnestly set him to the firm establishment 
of his faith and the faith of his scholars, he will find in 
the study of Christian evidences an unparalleled mental 
stimulus. It is history, and history that deals with the 



CHRISTIAN EVIDENCES IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 185 

noblest men and women. It is philosophy, and philoso- 
phy concerned with the loftiest themes. It is literature, 
and literary criticism of the highest and most enlighten- 
ing type. It is logic, and logic dealing with no abstract 
syllogisms, but with the nerve and blood of human ex- 
istence. The study of Christian evidences will arouse 
the minds of teacher and scholars alike, lift the lesson 
hour from the furrows of stale custom, and vitalize the 
entire Sunday school with a sense of achievement and 
mental mastery. 

Nor will the heart aspects of religion suffer from this 
attention to the head aspects. Show me the reasonable- 
ness of miracles, and the Eed Sea and Carmel, Cana and 
Bethesda, speak with new authority to my soul. Prove 
to me that John wrote his Gospel, and the fourteenth 
chapter breathes a balm it could not have for me be- 
fore. It is impossible to derive the highest comfort, 
inspiration, and guidance from a book that may be 
largely a forgery, however beautiful the forgery may be. 
It is impossible to feed upon the Scriptures while one is 
harassed with half-confessed fears that inspiration is a 
mere dogma, the supernatural an outgrown fancy, and 
miracles only myths. Prove Christ a veritable fact, as 
real as Washington or Victoria, as real as your next-door 
neighbor; show }^our scholars that the report we have 
of his words and deeds is as trustworthy, to say the 
least, as any column they will see in to-day's newspaper, 
and at once the Bible becomes a vital Book, and Christ 
becomes a speaking Friend, and the discovery breathes 
into all the doctrines of Christ's religion the breath of 
life. 



186 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

Some may be inclined to inquire with what age one 
should begin to teach the evidences of Christianity. 
Should proofs of the Bible be introduced in the primary 
department ? Should the youngest scholars be taught, 
for instance, of the possibility that God used a strong 
east wind to sweep the Red Sea bare before the Israel- 
ites ? Shall we tell them how the Bible was brought to- 
gether and how it came down to us ? Shall we cast our 
teaching in the easy traditional mold, or shall we base 
our teaching, at the very start, on the best and wisest 
we know ? 

Well, the best and wisest is none too good for the 
children. Certainly it will discredit the Sunday school 
if, even by implication, we teach them anything they 
must unlearn in later years. Assuredly we must speak 
the truth, even to babes. 

But how much of the truth shall we speak ? That is 
the question. Their young minds are eager to spring at 
you with Why ? and How ? It is as great a mistake to 
ignore their mental perplexities, to deprecate them, pal- 
ter with them, or put them off, as it is in the case of their 
elders. Such treatment is pusillanimous and mischief- 
breeding. No ; reason must be allied to our religious 
teaching from the beginning, and must be expressed as 
fast as it can be understood. 

This is not to say that Christian Evidences will be 
taught to our little ones in the same way we use with 
older classes ; far from that. 

My little girl once asked me, " Why can't we see 
God, if he is here?" How should I answer her? 
Should I enter into an explanation of the difference be- 



CHRISTIAN EVIDENCES IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 187 

tvveen spirit and matter ? How could I explain it when 
I don't in the least understand it myself ? 

I answered her with another question : " What do 
you think is the reason ? " 

" I guess it's because we haven't the right kind of 
eyes," she replied, and added, " We get a different kind 
of eyes when we die, don't we?" 

Well, of course, I assented, and of course I didn't try 
to go farther. Indeed, I am not sure that the wisest 
man that ever lived could go farther. 

" Why did Jesus let them kill him ? " the child may 
ask, remembering the mighty miracles the Saviour 
wrought. Shall we talk about the atonement ? Shall 
we introduce the doctrine of justification by faith, which 
is to be the great comfort of their maturity ? 

We shall make a simple beginning toward the fulness 
of that wondrous truth. "Jesus wanted just to be a 
man," we shall say. " He wanted to be like us, and suf- 
fer as we do, and even die as we do, that he might show 
how God loves us." That does not go very far, but the 
child can go as far as it goes, and it is true as far as it goes. 

In that spirit I would approach all the child's ques- 
tions. The letters the child uses are the same as those 
used by Bacon, its figures the same as Newton's, but its 
combinations of letters and figures must be immeasur- 
ably simpler. " C-a-t cat," however, is on the way to the 
JSfovum Organum, and "twice two is four" is on the 
way to the Principia. Even the little folks can learn 
the elements of Christian Evidences. 

One inquiry sure to arise when teachers begin seri- 
ously to consider the teaching of Bible proofs is, " What 



188 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PKOBLEMS 

shall I do with the higher criticism? " That is a real 
perplexity, for these are days of many revolutions in 
Bible study, and views regarding the origin and history 
of the sixty-six sacred books are advocated in orthodox 
pulpits which would have excommunicated their promul- 
gators a century ago. Whether the book of Daniel was 
written under the Maccabees, whether Deuteronomy 
was produced after the division of the kingdom, 
whether the fourth Gospel is John the Apostle's or some 
very different John's, — such questions as these will arise 
in disheartening number before the teacher has gone far 
in his own Bible studies. That he should meet these 
doubts fairly and solve them manfully ought not to need 
to be said. 

There are current two views of the higher criticism. 
One makes it a dragon, and runs away from it ; the other 
makes it an idol and worships it. Both are wrong. 
Only one question is worthy to be asked regarding a point 
of higher criticism, and that is, Is it true ? Not, what 
evil results will flow from it if it is true, but, Is it true? 

Some of the modern Bible scholars are irreverent, 
flippant, conceited, and slash with their opinionated pen- 
knives in the face of all the moral and literary convic- 
tions of mankind. Other are cautious, profound, rever- 
ent, of sympathetic insight, of masterly comprehension. 
When such men, out of their vast erudition and in eager 
love of God and his Book, choose to speak, it befits you 
and me to keep silent and listen. Teachers in our Sun- 
day schools should know enough about modern Bible 
studies to distinguish between these two classes of 
scholars, to avoid the one and cleave to the other. 



CHRISTIAN EVIDENCES IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 189 

It is the height of folly to insist that our grandfathers 
discovered all there is to know about the Bible. It is 
also the height of folly to fear that any discovery will 
shake the immutable truth of God. It is most necessary 
for Sunday-school teachers to maintain minds that are 
open to all proved facts about the Bible. How otherwise 
can we hope to prove the Bible ? But an open mind 
need not be open at both ends. Whatever truth we ad- 
mit, we need never let our faith fall through. 

It is most necessary, also, for Sunday-school teachers 
to recognize the true foundations of faith. If we are fool- 
ish enough to base our faith in God and his Book upon 
a literal acceptance of the story of Joshua's causing the 
sun, that is, the earth, to stand still, then all argument 
and evidence that this story is merely an ancient poem 
will shake our faith to its foundations. 

A firm sense of proportion is the teacher's invaluable 
aid. He must learn to distinguish between essentials 
and incidentals. He must understand what he can well 
afford to let go and what he must defend at all hazards. 
He must not ride hobbies, either of conservatism or of 
radicalism, or he will assuredly tumble into the ditch. 
Believing firmly that all Scripture is inspired of God and 
profitable, he will hold that belief not as an iron armor 
but as a workman's blouse. To him the Bible will be, 
not a dead, paved street, but a ploughed field, ever fertile 
for new harvests of thought and life. In that spirit, so 
far as his opportunity and ability permit, he will master 
the higher criticism. At any rate, he will not let it mas- 
ter him. 

I should like to see our Sunday-school teachers every- 



190 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

where forming classes in Christian evidences. Of course, 
the Bible should be known thoroughly, from cover to 
cover. No one can prove a sum till he has done it, 
and no one can prove a Bible of which he is ignorant. 

I was told the other day of a class of young women 
within ten miles of Boston who, with their teacher, came 
recently to the serious conclusion that the ark of the 
tabernacle was a sort of photograph of Noah's ark which 
the children of Israel carried around with them. It may 
be imagined how luminous a discussion of the authorship 
of the Fourth Gospel could be carried on by such a class 
and teacher. 

No ; this study of Christian evidences presupposes a 
passable knowledge of the contents of the Bible. But if 
the study is earnestly followed, Bible knowledge will 
surprisingly develop with it. 

These teachers' classes in Christian evidences should be 
built up around a text-book. If you want a small and 
attractive book, I know of nothing better than the 
" Short Manual of Christian Evidences," by Professor 
Fisher, of Yale University. It is published by Scribner's, 
and its price is seventy-five cents. I might name other 
books, but that would only confuse you needlessly. 

A necessary element in such a study is the history of 
the manuscripts and of our English translations, a fasci- 
nating subject, to be pursued with the aid of such popular 
volumes as " The Parchments of the Faith," by Merrill, 
sold by the Baptist Publication Society for $1.25, and 
" Our Sixt3 7 -Six Sacred Books," by Bice, sold by the 
American Sunday-School Union for from fifteen cents 
to half a dollar. After you have read such books, you 



CHRISTIAN EVIDENCES IK THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 191 

will almost invariably carry on the subject with the aid 
of more elaborate treatises. 

My thought for these teachers' classes in Christian 
evidences is very simple. Every teacher should own the 
text-book, for later reference and for lending to his 
scholars, as well as for present use. All having read 
the chapter assigned, the teachers will come together to 
talk it over. The leader will have studied the same 
subject in some larger and fuller book. He will have 
written out a set of questions covering the assigned 
ground, and these are to be answered by the teachers. 
They will be so framed as to bring out discussion and 
perhaps excite debate. A brief essay on the subject will 
be read, at each meeting by a different teacher. The 
hour will close with the discussion of difficult points 
that have come up in recent lessons or are anticipated in 
the lessons to come. 

In all this work the teachers should be encouraged to 
make their own original contributions to Christian evi- 
dences. One of them, for example, in reading the story 
of Samuel, has been struck with the account of the evil 
life of that good man's sons, and is impressed with the 
honesty of the Scriptures. Certainly a false historian 
would have made Samuel bring up his sons in godliness, 
and would have told how nobly they succeeded him and 
carried on his line. Such a bit of evidence is worth to 
its discoverer many pages from a book, and will be pre- 
sented by him with peculiar force to others. 

As to the aims of this study, they will be simple, and 
easily attained. There are certain points the Sunday- 
school teacher should know with all ardor of conviction. 



192 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

They are these : God is. Christ lived in the flesh. The 
Bible is what it pretends to be. The truth of miracles, 
of the supernatural. The reality of immortality, of 
heaven, of hell. The fact of the atonement. The doc- 
trines of the Trinity, of regeneration, of inspiration. 

If the teacher is himself convinced, through and 
through, of those eight truths, and if he is able to 
convince others, meeting their arguments and resolving 
their doubts, his study of Christian evidences has re- 
ceived its practical crown. His Sunday-school work has 
become more of a science and less of a rhapsody. It 
has attained the businesslike methods of secular schools. 
It has reached the dignity of the law courts. It obtains 
the respect and admiration of young men. It binds the 
intellect to the heart and both to Christ. It not only 
wins souls, but it holds them after they are won. 

And now perhaps I cannot close this chapter in a 
better way than by giving an illustration of just what I 
mean by the teaching of Christian evidences. 

I will suppose that you are to teach a lesson that most 
teachers use annually, the Easter lesson, the resurrection 
of Christ. This lesson affords you an easy chance to 
exhort. You may indulge in word pictures of the scene. 
You may enter into a long description of Eastern tombs 
and Roman guards. You may drill into the class the 
precise order in w T hich the women and the various dis- 
ciples visited the tomb. You may warn your scholars of 
the certainty of death, and impress upon them the truth 
that Christ is the Resurrection and the Life. You may 
carry out this programme, through which that class has 
already passed perhaps a dozen times, and you will prob- 



CHRISTIAN EVIDENCES IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 193 

ably leave them with little firmer grasp on the great 
fact of the resurrection than they had before. " O, if I 
only knew that Christ rose from the dead ! O, if I could 
only be sure that my dear one is still alive ! " Who has 
not heard that cry many and many a time, as I have 
heard it, from those who have enjoyed all their lives the 
ministrations of the pulpit and the Sunday school ? 

Ah, teachers, when you next have a chance at that 
blessed Easter lesson, use it as your God-sent opportu- 
nity to banish such doubts forever ! The proofs of 
Christ's resurrection are many, and varied, and irresist- 
ible. Point to the narratives themselves. Let the class 
read them aloud, noting how simple they are, how nat- 
ural, how apparently honest and straightforward. Point 
out some of the seeming discrepancies, like the differ- 
ences in the accounts regarding the arrival of the women. 
Show how these discrepancies may be explained, but at 
the same time remind the class that a fictitious narrative 
would have avoided discrepancies, especially those that 
lie so plainly on the surface. Contrast this simple, hon- 
est, convincing narrative with a false account of the 
same event, the product of later ages, the so-called Gospel 
of Peter. Kead to the class this extract : — 

"In the night before the Lord's Day, the soldiers 
being on guard two and two about, there arose a great 
voice in heaven ; and they saw the heavens opened, and 
two men descending thence with great light and ap- 
proaching the tomb. And that stone which had been 
placed at the door rolled away of itself to one side, and 
the tomb was laid open, and both the young men went 
in. On seeing this, the sentinels woke the centurion and 



194: SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

the elders (for they also were on the watch) ; and while 
they were relating what they had seen, they saw again 
coming out of the tomb three men, the two supporting 
the one, and, following them, a cross. And of the two 
the head reached the heaven, but that of him whom they 
led overpassed the heaven. And they heard a voice out 
of heaven saying, ' Hast thou preached obedience to them 
that sleep?' And from the cross came answer, 'Yes.'" 

Now that is the way myths grow up, and that is the 
way they are written. The miraculous predominates. 
It is grotesque and exaggerated. It is miracle unrelated 
to character, unexplained by any of the necessities of the 
case. In the true account, on the contrary, the miracu- 
lous element is minimized ; it is unforced ; it springs 
simply and easily from the circumstances. It is inevi- 
table. 

Brooding over these veracious accounts, you will dis- 
cover many internal evidences of their veracity. For 
example, the prominence given to women. While this is 
entirely in accord with the rest of the Gospels and with 
what we have come to look upon as natural and beauti- 
ful, what ancient writer, if he were manufacturing a nar- 
rative, or what ancient rumor, growing slowly to a myth, 
would have made a few weak women the discoverers and 
heralds of the resurrection ? Would it not have been 
John, perhaps, to whom this honor would have been 
assigned, or Peter, or James ? or would it not have been 
some superb, thunder-smitten delegation from the San- 
hedrim ? But, " The first day of the week cometh Mary 
Magdalene" — who would ever have thought of that? 

Again, what false historian would have recorded the 



CHRISTIAN EVIDENCES IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 195 

incredulity of the disciples ? " Some doubted," it is re- 
corded in Matthew. "They believed not them which 
had seen him after he was risen," says Mark. The 
women's words seemed to the disciples " as idle tales," 
says Luke. Thomas was unbelieving, and the two of 
Emmaus had no hope. 

Again, bid the class note the little details, such as none 
but eve-witnesses would recall or dream of writing, — the 
linen cloths lying, the folded napkin, the imagined gar- 
dener, John outrunning Peter, the table blessing at Em- 
maus, the broiled fish and honeycomb, — these are touches 
that need only to be pointed out to confirm the narrative 
wonderfully as natural and true. 

Pass on to consider how many appearances of the risen 
Lord are recorded, and all as naturally. It is impossible 
to explain away so many independent events. Consider 
also the number of persons involved, as many as five hun- 
dred at one time. They could not all have been subject 
to hallucinations. Consider the sudden cessation of these 
appearances at the end of the forty days ; whereas, if 
they had merely been the visions of dreamy zealots, they 
would have increased in number as the church grew. 
Consider the wonderful change produced in the apostles, 
raised in an hour from the sad depression caused by 
the crucifixion to an exalted enthusiasm that braved all 
dangers, sent them to proclaim the good news in the 
temple itself, and brought about Pentecost. Was this 
wrought by an empty dream of an unreal resurrection ? 
Consider the most striking case of all, that lawyerlike 
Paul, transformed in an instant, at sight of the risen 
Christ, from a persecutor to an apostle. Remember how 



196 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

he based his preaching upon the resurrection, and de- 
clared that if Christ were not raised, it was all vain. 
Remember that, in the confident faith inspired by the 
resurrection and by that alone, thousands upon thou- 
sands during the succeeding years gave that supreme 
evidence of belief, a martyr's death. Was Paul be- 
fooled ? No keener man ever lived than he. Were the 
martyrs visionaries ? Men do not lay down their lives 
for visions. 

Suppose it is argued that Christ did not die, but merely 
swooned on the cross. What, then, became of him ? 
When and where did he die ? Could the disciples have 
hidden him ? Would he for a minute have consented ? 

Suppose the enemies of Christ carried away his body, 
and thus the tomb was found empty. Why, then, did 
they not produce his body, and thus end the story of 
his resurrection ? 

Was it all a myth ? There was no time for a myth to 
grow up. Was it a falsehood ? The character of the 
disciples renders the thought impossible. By the record, 
tested in every part, and by the results, viewed under 
every light, the resurrection of Christ is one of the best 
attested facts of history. 

Well, it is in about that fashion that I would ride my 
hobby horse, Proveit. And I contend that such a mode 
of teaching the Easter lesson would lead irresistibly to 
all the ethical conclusions obtainable from any other way 
of teaching, all the comfort, all the joy, all the adora- 
tion, and would establish them upon foundations that 
cannot be shaken by the shock of death. 

Oh, to be sure of one's religion! What a strength it 



CHKISTIAN EVIDENCES IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 197 

is ! Not to hold one's faith tentatively, at the mercy of 
a skeptic's sneer. Not to falter before the pompous emp- 
tiness of infidel fallacies. Not to faint under the test of 
sorrow or gloom or mortal extremity. To have done 
with doubt, once and forever. To know, and know that 
you know. To be able to build on firm foundations, im- 
mutable and eternal as truth itself. All this is the priv- 
ilege and therefore the duty of every Christian ; to be 
led into it is the right of every Sunday-school scholar. 
May he who became the Word, the incarnate Eeason of 
Jehovah, guide us and enable us to guide our classes to 
the reason and the proof of his gospel ! 



CHAPTER XXIV 

CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES 

Am I wrong in thinking that I see a gradual drawing 
away from Christmas celebrations in the Sunday school ? 
I hope I am. Teachers and officers, however, are very 
likely to shrink from the labor involved, to remember 
past turmoils, and to devise some makeshift of a celebra- 
tion that is no pride to themselves or satisfaction to the 
children. 

For the children, bless them ! are not weary of these 
things. The glittering tree and the jovial Santa still fas- 
cinate them as they fascinated my own well-remembered 
boyhood, when they formed the sparkling cynosure of 
the entire year. And it seems a pity, since so much 
pleasure can be given so easily to so many, to minimize 
it or do away with it altogether. 

Simple Celebrations. — I say " so easily," though I am 
well aware that the adverb will arouse sarcastic smiles. 
But I believe we make far too much fuss over our 
Christmas rejoicings, losing in multiplicity of parade 
the beautiful, simple lesson of the Advent. An ideal 
Christmas celebration may be purchased at little cost of 
money, time, or strength. No one person, and no few 
persons, should be allowed to bear the burden of it, but 
it should be divided among many. Where the Sunday 
school is small, by all means neighboring schools or the 

198 



CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES 199 

schools of the entire town should unite for the festival, 
and thus put in practice, that evening at least, one of the 
chief teachings of Christmas. Divide the work among 
many committees, each with a responsible head. Let 
one group plan the decorations, let a committee obtain 
the evergreen boughs, another fashion the -wreaths, 
another put them in place. Set a committee to ar- 
range the singing. Set another committee over the 
ushering. The tree, the exercise, the presents, — divide 
the work into little parcels, and then no back will break. 
Besides, far more good will be gained if many are thus 
interested in the celebration than if only a few receive 
the rewards of service. And if any superintendent says 
it is easier to do the thing himself than to superintend 
so many, ask him the meaning of the name of his office. 

In this committee work utilize as far as possible the 
young folks themselves. They will enjoy it, and their 
loyalty to the school will be increased by it. Their in- 
terest in the celebration will be proprietary. Utilize 
also the skilled force of the young people's society. 
They will feel complimented, and the service will bind 
the two organizations more firmly together. 

Overcrowded Programmes. — The matter of time will 
do much to decide whether the celebration is dreaded, or 
anticipated with pleasure. Most of such festivals are 
sadly overcrowded. Time carefully each exercise, mak- 
ing generous allowance for " getting up and sitting 
down," for coming in and going out, and for the unex- 
pected hitches that are sure to come. Leave liberal 
gaps, as men leave gaps between connecting railroad 
rails, because " heat expands." Eehearse everything, 



200 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

and " get a good ready." Insist on promptness. Set 
the hour early, and let people know you will begin at the 
hour, though only ten are there. Then, keep your word. 
Close early, before the fidgets come. " Early beginning 
and early to close, and oh, how successfully everything 
goes ! " 

Our Christmas celebration should be, as far as possible, 
a re-embodiment of the Advent Day itself. There are 
four simple elements of that great event, and if we in- 
troduce those four elements into our Christmas exercises, 
they will be well-rounded, attractive, and fruitful. 
There is : — 

First, upward ; the thought of the star; the element 
of worship. 

Second, downward; the angels' song of good will; 
the element of charity. 

Third, inward; the manger and its blessedness; the 
element of rejoicing. 

Fourth, outward ; the magi and their offerings ; the 
element of gifts. 

i. Upward. — Who has not attended Christmas festi- 
vals that might as well have been festivals in honor of 
Mercury or Juno ? The real thought of Christmas has 
scarcely entered at all into the celebration. I have seen 
an evening's Christmas entertainment, in a Sunday 
school, that was based entirely on the brownies ; another 
year, entirely on the characters of Mother Goose's 
melodies ! 

!STow I believe that the Christmas concert should be a 
gain to the religious life of every participant and auditor. 
I would precede it, on Christmas morning, with an 



CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES 201 

early morning prayer meeting — a sunrise prayer meet- 
ing. Such a meeting has been held annually in my own 
church ; it is very largely attended, by young and old, 
and scores take part. It gives a spiritual tone to the 
entire day. It is the best possible preparation for 
Christmas evening. 

At the very outset of the evening's exercises, make 
plain the predominant purpose of the gathering, — that 
it is to exalt the Saviour of men. Get the most eloquent 
speaker obtainable to present the theme, briefly but most 
winsomely. And I would follow this with several short, 
simple prayers, in swift succession. One of these prayers 
may well be given in brief, easy sentences, or parts of 
sentences, which the children, even the youngest, will re- 
peat after the speaker, all heads being bowed. 

Having in some such ways as these gained the upward 
look, next make sure of : — 

2. Downward. — I have known Sunday schools that 
gave up, by vote, their Christmas festivities, especially 
the gift part, in order to use the money for the pleasure 
and comfort of poor children. This spirit of self-denial 
can be cultivated in other ways, throughout the year, 
and in our well-to do Sunday schools it is not necessary 
to abandon the Sunday-school " treat " in order to get 
the element of charity into the celebration. 

In some way, however, this element must be incorpo- 
rated. Make a strong appeal to the parents. Ask them 
to give each child a chance to earn something to give to 
the poor at Christmas. Do not consider your festival in 
commemoration of the Christ-child a success unless each 
of his children has brought something of his own, though 



202 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

only a stick of candy, to give away to Christ's other, 
less fortunate, children. And then let the scholars de- 
liver these gifts in person, going about in groups under 
the conduct of their elders. 

3. Inward. — Christmas affords an unexampled oppor- 
tunity to exalt the church in the children's minds as the 
centre of joy, even of jollity. As I remember my own boy- 
hood (and I'm a good deal of a boy still !), and as I watch 
other children, I conclude that the Christmas jollity centres 
in Santa and the tree. Who tires of the tree ? Who wants 
to bring in the gifts in prosaic wicker baskets ? Never 
the children. Who wearies of jovial St. Nicholas ? The 
grown-ups that must wear the wig and furs and for one 
short evening unbend their precious dignity ; not the 
children. Why, I saw once in a department store a 
" Santa Claus " writing in a book the Christmas wishes 
of the boys and girls as they came up and revealed them, 
— the surliest fellow, as to eyes, voice, and evident spirit, 
I ever saw, a fellow with no heart at all for his blessed 
task ; and yet the dear children flocked around him like 
bees to a bunch of old-fashioned phlox. It must have 
been the long white beard. 

Have a tree, if it is only a stick ; have a Santa Claus, 
if he is only a stick. Get a Santa who will omit the 
cheap jokes and exalt Christ. But don't leave out the 
fun. 

Much of this is true also of the Christmas " exercise," 
or "cantata," or " concert," or what you choose to call it. 
Circumstances differ so widely that I cannot name for 
you good exercises, though that would be a useful serv- 
ice. Your best plan is to send for samples galore, and 



CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES 203 

make your choice. You will have ample range. Santa 
has been exploited in every possible phase. They have 
even gone on to Mrs. Santa and Santa Junior, and Santa's 
sisters and cousins and aunts. A good exercise will in- 
troduce the element of surprise, it will not give the chil- 
dren much acting to do, it will be simple and remem- 
berable, and it will contribute unmistakably to the 
genuine Christmas spirit; it will exalt Christ. Some- 
times you can get best results by using the best parts of 
more than one exercise. 

Home-made Exercises.— It is not at all necessary 
always to send away for an exercise in order to have a 
thoroughly successful Christmas celebration. Make your 
own. Advertise it as an original exercise, and you will 
increase the interest considerably. 

One home-made exercise might be called " The Light- 
ing of the Tree." The tree will be all ready for lighting, 
and will be in view as the audience gathers, but the 
lighting of each candle will come as a response to some 
appropriate Scripture verse repeated by a scholar, or 
some Christmas poem recited, or some Christmas song 
sung. Not until the last child has made his contribution 
will the tree shine out in its full beauty. Of course, the 
pastor will draw a little moral from this. 

Another home-made exercise might be called " Christ- 
mas Questions." It would consist merely of a series of 
questions and answers, the former propounded by the 
superintendent and the latter given by the children. 
Now a single child would reply, now a class in concert, 
now the whole school. Now the answer would come in 
the form of a Bible verse, now as a stanza of a hymn, 



204 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

now as a poem recited, now as a bit of description read. 
As to the questions, they should cover the Christmas 
story, and whatever, growing out of it, the superintend- 
ent and teachers wish to bring in. For example, " Where 
was Jesus born ? " would be answered, possibly, by the 
singing of Phillips Brooks's beautiful hymn, " O little 
town of Bethlehem." "What great men came to find 
the infant Jesus ? " would be answered by the recitation 
of Longfellow's poem, "The Three Kings," and by an 
abstract of Henry Van Dyke's story, " The Other Wise 
Man." The plan gives unlimited range to the ingenuity 
and skill of whoever may prepare the exercise. 

A variation of this exercise may consist of brief ad- 
dresses (limited to three minutes) by different persons, 
each address to end in a question, and each question to 
be answered by a song. There may be a choir of chil- 
dren hidden behind a curtain, or two choirs thus hidden 
at the ends of the room, singing antiphonally. For ex- 
ample, after a brief description of the scene at Bethle- 
hem when the angels sang, introduce the question, 
"What did they sing about?" which the children 
will answer by singing softly E. H. Sears's lovely hymn, 
"It came upon the midnight clear." After a little talk 
on the theme of the refusal to receive Mary at the inn, 
ask: "Would you treat the Lord Jesus in that way ? " 
receiving as answer the song by Emily E. S. Elliott, 
whose refrain is, " O come to my heart, Lord Jesus ; 
there's room in my heart for thee." This service might 
be named "The Answer of Song." 

One more suggestion for a home-made exercise, this 
time a little more elaborate, may suffice. Call it " The 



CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES 205 

Building of the Cross." Make pasteboard cubes, quite 
large, say a foot each way. Cover them with white, and 
paint or draw on each an easily seen symbol of some con- 
spicuous event in Christ's life. Sometimes an object 
fastened to the cube will serve for the illustration. 
Sometimes a picture can be cut from a paper or maga- 
zine. A star, for example, will represent the birth, a 
stone in the shape of a flat cake will stand for the temp- 
tation, a mountain scene will call to mind the transfig- 
uration, and so on. These cubes are to be built up, on 
the platform, in the shape of a cross. Separate scholars 
will take them, and each, before depositing his cube, will 
state what it represents, and will recite some passage of 
Scripture, some poem, or some prose selection, appro- 
priate to his subject. In this way perhaps twelve of the 
principal events in Christ's life will appear to be building 
up his cross. Arrange them chronologically, placing the 
star at the bottom, and at the summit a picture of clouds 
from which rays of golden glory are streaming, to repre- 
sent the ascension. The side pieces must be added by 
means of hooks, and the first must be supported till its 
balancing piece is put in position. 

4. Outward. — Just a word, in conclusion, as to the 
school " treat," the presents for the children. Probably 
every Sunday school has by this time seen the necessity 
of forbidding a general receipt and disbursement of gifts. 
Some parents are sure to take the opportunity for vulgar 
display. I have been present at Christmas entertain- 
ments when almost every alternate name called out be- 
longed to a certain family, and their pew became filled 
with parcels almost to a level with its railing. The chil- 



206 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

dren enjoy watching for their names to be called, and 
with a brisk Santa the operation need not be tedious ; 
but it is a wise school that prevents heartburnings by 
ruling that, for the sake of the poorer children, each 
scholar shall receive no more than one gift, in addition 
to the school treat of candy, nuts, and fruit. And then, 
by shrewd management among the generous, see to it 
that not the poorest child fails to receive this second 
gift. 

But cultivate at this season among the members of the 
church and school the lovely spirit of giving. Urge them 
to prepare gifts for others than relatives and nearest 
friends, — for the lonely, for the sick, for the ugly, for 
non-Christians, for those that do not expect it. Organize 
among the children an S. S. S., — Santa's Secret Service. 
Arm this messenger corps with printed receipt-books, and 
be sure that each receipt, when signed, is returned to the 
giver ; but provide for secrecy if the giver desires to re- 
main unknown. This kindly mystery, this jolly unself- 
ishness, is of the very heart of Christmas. 



CHAPTER XXV 

THE LESSOJST PERSPECTIVE 

A Sunday-school lesson taught out of perspective is 
very much like a drawing that is in the same pre- 
dicament. 

It is part of my business to criticize the drawings that 
are made for my pa^er, and once in a while I get from 
some young artist a decidedly novel effect. Here, for 
instance, will be a little girl looking out of a window, 
and two or three yards away sits an old man in a chair. 
He has suffered overmuch from the diminishing effect of 
perspective, and barely comes up to her knees. In 
another effort, only a brief reasoning suffices to convince 
the designer that his church spire is precisely the height 
of his front door. In still a third picture a box is so 
drawn as to become a flat surface, or a room is absolutely 
turned inside out. 

Now the sense of proportion is one of the most impor- 
tant pedagogical virtues, — to know what to place in the 
foreground and what in the background, and what rela- 
tion precisely the one should hold to the other. 

Many teachers teach as a child draws — all on one plane. 
Every fact, every truth, is of equal importance. The 
exact position of Calvary, and the meaning of the cruci- 
fixion to the world ; the probable size and material of 
the tables of stone, and the contents of the Decalogue ; 
the way they reclined at table, and the spiritual signifl- 

207 



208 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

cance of the Last Supper — the first set of facts is in their 
teaching of equal weight with the second. 

Such teachers exult in minute details — the weight of 
Goliath's armor, piece by piece ; the appearance of the 
locusts eaten by John the Baptist ; the kind of walls that 
Asa built. Or, perhaps, they are especially pleased with 
a certain thought, and elaborate it through fifteen ver- 
bose minutes, quite forgetting that it is far from the 
main thought of the lesson, and not a thought that will 
much help the scholars anyway. Other teachers are 
strong along a certain line, such as the succession of 
kings in Israel and Judah, and drill everlastingly upon 
that, heedless of what is probably best for their class. 
Still others are so immensely tickled with a story illus- 
trating some side point in the lesson, or with a diagram 
or chart they have invented, that illustration or diagram 
become virtually the entire lesson to them and their 
luckless scholars. 

A Well-made Plan. — Perspective in teaching a lesson, 
like perspective in a picture, comes only from a plan. 
However artistically careless and impromptu a good 
drawing may appear, trace it back and you will find it 
gridironed with formal squares. The artist decides at 
the outset what figures or objects shall stand in the fore- 
ground and what shall be relegated to the diminishing 
distance. If a cow is back in the meadow, supposedly an 
eighth of a mile away, no amount of interest in that cow 
will persuade the artist to magnify her size or increase 
the distinctness of her spots. 

After the same workmanlike fashion, the true teacher 
decides at the outset of his studying just what is to be 



THE LESSON PERSPECTIVE 209 

the main point of his teaching. Sometimes it wili be the 
history, when exegesis must take a back seat ; sometimes 
it will be the practical truth in the lesson, when the his- 
torical, geographical, or critical phases of the text must 
be passed over lightly. 

Having decided on this central theme, the teacher's 
next task is no less important. Out of the multitude of 
subordinate topics which will crowd upon his ready mind 
he must rigorously select those that are most closely and 
naturally related to his main subject, those that will rein- 
force it and not submerge it. 

The Central Point. — You want to leave upon your 
scholars' minds an impression of the lesson as a whole. 
Your scholars — unless they are the phenomena they are 
not likely to be — will not remember more than one point 
of the lesson definitely, and you are lucky if they re- 
member that ; the rest will be a loose haze. It should 
be your sedulous care that the one thing they remember 
is the chief thing, and that the loose haze is made up of 
the subordinate things. 

Pictures — to return to our useful illustration — are likely 
to be "spotty"; to exhibit, that is, several centres of 
emphasis and interest, rather than one. The " composi- 
tion," as the artists say, is bad, and the picture is not a 
whole, as a landscape is, or a group in a room. The 
heroine may stand out finely, in bold relief against a 
dark background ; but over in the corner is some insig- 
nificant character who also is in bold relief against a 
dark background, while in the other corner the silhouette 
of some inconsequential chair divides the honors with 
the aforesaid two. The picture is " spotty." 



210 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

Contrast with this — to take a well-known example — 
Munkacsy's superb painting, " Christ before Pilate," or 
Hofmann's " The Boy Jesus in the Temple." Note how 
in both pictures all lines centre upon our Lord, all eyes 
are directed to him, all interest is subordinated to that 
imperial interest. The face of Pilate is itself a master- 
piece. So is that fanatic Jew, who with uplifted arm is 
shouting, " Crucify him ! " So are the faces of the sym- 
pathizing women. So are the bearded rabbis. But you 
recognize them in each case as accessories, after all, and 
you return again and again to the lovely face of the 
Wonderful Boy ; the regal, worn face of the Man of 
Sorrows. By virtue of that dominating interest you feel 
the picture as a unity. 

Knowing what to leave out is the art of art. It is the 
poet's skill, the novelist's, the orator's, the sculptor's ; 
certainly it is the painter's. One is reminded of the story 
of Leonardo da Vinci, who introduced into the picture 
of " The Last Supper " a magnificent golden goblet. 
" That goblet," said a friend enthusiastically, " is by far 
the best thing in the picture ; it is the chief triumph of 
your skill." Instantly Da Yinci dashed his loaded brush 
over the goblet and obliterated it. " Nothing," he ex- 
claimed, u shall surpass the face of my Saviour." 

In that anecdote lies the secret of proportion in teach- 
ing. It is interest that makes emphasis. If your interest 
is in some inferior truth, your emphasis will be upon it, 
whether you wish it or not. If your heart is fixed upon 
the great central verities of religion, you will allow no 
allurement of illustration or anecdote or historical lore to 
distract you or your scholars from them. 



THE LESSON PERSPECTIVE 211 

In teaching the story of the man let down through the 
roof of the house to Jesus' feet, if it is your heart's de- 
sire to send your scholars to the great Physician you will 
spend only enough time on the " mattress " and the 
" roof " to make the scene intelligible, and you will speed 
to the soul of the matter, the wonderful healing. In 
teaching Paul's last recorded journey to Jerusalem, if 
your heart is aflame with admiration for the apostle's 
steadfast pursuit of duty against whatever obstacles, and 
you are chiefly eager to incorporate that spirit in your 
scholars' minds, then you will dwell only long enough 
on the geography of Miletus, Tyre, Ptolemais, and 
the rest, only long enough on Philip's prophetical 
daughters and the quaint manner of Agabus's warning, 
to render vivid the number and variety of hindrances 
that beset Paul's determined will. 

Do I seem, in insisting upon a single ineffaceable pic- 
ture as adequate goal of an entire lesson, to be minimiz- 
ing our Sunday-school design and effort ? Think what 
it means to implant fifty-two such pictures, in the course 
of a year, in the mind of any person ! What a gallery ! 
What a glorious Louvre of galleries growing from year 
to year ! Surely that, well done, is triumph sufficient, 
for time and eternity. 

The Secret of Symmetry. — Dr. Moorehead, the beloved 
Bible-teacher, saw his little grandchild playing on the 
floor one day with a dissected map of the United States. 
The lassie was sorely puzzled. Things would not fit to- 
gether. Here between Illinois and Iowa was an alto- 
gether impossible gap. Yonder was New Mexico thrust- 



212 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

ing an elbow into Kansas. It was a disheartening jum- 
ble, and the girlie was almost in tears. 

" Turn it over," said Dr. Moorehead, " and work on the 
other side." 

There was a large face of George Washington on the 
other side, and that was easy. Two eyes — why, of 
course ! And a nose, — right under the eyes, to be sure ! 
And mouth, ears, square chin, cheeks, — George Washing- 
ton was a rapid success, and the small w T orker was de- 
lighted. 

" Now turn it over." 

A piece of cardboard slipped beneath helped to effect 
the revolution, — not the first one in which George 
Washington had been engaged, — and lo ! the puzzling 
United States were all in decorous order, Kansas and 
Illinois, Iowa and New Mexico and the rest precisely 
where they ought to be. 

And so, fellow teachers, if we want to bring into re- 
memberable symmetry the perplexing, crowded facts and 
truths of these great lessons, — let us turn them over, and 
work on the Man J 



CHAPTER XXVI 

THE SUPERINTENDENT THAT NEEDS A MUZZLE 

I hope my title will not seem harsh or disrespectful. 
It is the spirited dogs, you know, that need a muzzle, — 
dogs of the aggressive bark and the willing bite. There 
are curs, lank and listless, that would never be honored 
with a muzzle, even in a year of dog days. 

The only trouble with my canine friend of the muzzle 
is that he has misplaced his energy. He has barked at 
the policeman instead of the tramp, and he has gnawed 
at my trousers instead of his own disinterred bones. 
Hence the muzzle. 

Nothing more than this is the matter with our subject, 
the superintendent. When he stands before those wrig- 
gling youngsters and offers up a five-minute prayer, the 
deed is good but misplaced ; the prayer belongs in the 
church prayer meeting. When he introduces the respon- 
sive Bible-reading with foregleams of the lesson, and 
closes it with a comprehensive summary, what he says is 
excellent but misplaced ; it belongs in the teachers' meet- 
ing. When he holds the school for five minutes in order 
to appty the day's lesson to the scholars' lives, prob- 
ably every word of his homily is true and good ; but cer- 
tainly every teacher before him, if she knows her business, 
has already said to her scholars all that needs to be said 
along that line. 

213 



214 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

But our over-energetic, or over-conscientious, or (shall 
I whisper it ? ) our egotistical superintendent cannot give 
out a notice without enlarging every detail, cannot an- 
nounce a song without directing attention to its senti- 
ment, cannot shake his finger at an unruly scholar with- 
out making him the text for a discourse on order, cannot 
allow the secretary's report to go without an afterclap of 
tedious encouragement or reproof. 

The Superintending Superintendent. — Far from him is 
the conception of the superintendent as an all-but-silent 
governor of the school, an officer whose appearance on 
the platform or whose raised hand is the signal for an 
instant hush, whose nod to the chorister or secretary is 
their sufficient introduction, whose purpose is to say and 
do as little as he can and get others to say and do as 
much as possible, and whose central ambition is to de- 
liver the school to the teachers precisely at the proper 
minute and precisely in the proper condition of reverent 
attention. This conception of his work is quite foreign 
to the superintendent that needs a muzzle. 

His Share. — He has not an algebraic mind. If he had, 
he would argue : As I, John Smith, am to these twenty 
teachers and one hundred and twenty scholars, so is the 
time I ought to take for talking to the time I ought to 
leave for them. He would calculate about as follows : — 



Songs, 3 at 3 min. ea . . 9 

Prayer 2 

Bible-reading 3 

Announcements 2 

Unforeseen extras . ^ 



THE SUPERINTENDENT THAT NEEDS A MUZZLE 215 

Getting settled in classes after opening exercises . . 5 
Collection, filling out records, distributing papers and 

books 5 

Teaching the lessons 30 

Total, minutes 60 

Time left for the superintendent's homily .'...? 

But his mind is poetic, oratorical, imaginative, any- 
thing but algebraic or arithmetical ; therefore he must 
have a muzzle. The questions are : what sort of muzzle ? 
and how shall it be applied ? 

Perhaps he may read this chapter, and it may serve as 
a muzzle. If, however, he is so unfortunate as not to 
have a copy of this book, I do not see that you can do 
much without a teachers' meeting. It is through the 
teachers' meeting that all Sunday-school reforms are to 
be effected, and that is not the least of its advantages. 

Putting On the Muzzle.— For at the teachers' meeting 
you will insist upon setting aside the first fifteen minutes 
for a discussion of the general interests of the school. 
And in this discussion it will not be long before some 
teacher will pipe up : " Mr. Superintendent, I must have 
half an hour for the lesson ; how can I get it?" And 
the muzzle will thereupon be produced from its brown- 
paper wrapping. 

Mr. Garland will say, " That is my great need, too ; 
last Sunday we actually had only seventeen minutes." 
Miss Pay son : " Where does all the time go to ? " 
Professor Richardson : " Shouldn't we establish a rule 
always to begin the teaching at a certain minute?" 
Omnes ; "Yes. That's just it. At a certain minute." 



216 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PKOBLEMS 

Superintendent: "Certainly. Why not? A very 
sensible suggestion. What do you say to 12:25 ? " 

And the muzzle is on. 

Keeping the Muzzle On. — Of course, it is going to slip 
off, if you don't watch. You will be obliged to draw in 
a strap here and tighten a buckle there. You may be 
compelled to go into details, at your teachers' meeting, 
much as in the tabular exhibit I have just made. The 
chorister may have to insist on his three songs, with no 
stanzas clipped. The secretary may have to insist on a 
regular and adequate time for his announcements. You 
may have to report the complaints of parents when the 
school is not dismissed on time. Again and again you 
may be forced to plead for your half hour for the lesson. 
Vigilance is the price of more things than liberty. 

But do not, for the lack of a little plain and coura- 
geous speaking, allow a good superintendent to spoil 
himself and the school. Know precisely what you want 
of him, tell precisely what you want of him, and then if 
he gets mad you will not want anything more of him at 
all. But he won't get mad. 

Is the muzzle to be complete ? May not the superin- 
tendent talk at all ? Of course he may, but always in 
strict proportion 

1. To his ability. 

2. To the need. 

3. To the opportunity. 

1. Some superintendents are skilled in blackboard 
work, and by a few turns with the chalk can make a les- 



THE SUPEKINTENDENT THAT NEEDS A MUZZLE 217 

son luminous, and start scholars and teachers finely upon 
the topic of the hour. Others are good at object talks. 
Others know just how to give the needed word of en- 
couragement and good cheer. It would be a sin to muz- 
zle absolutely a dog that can do such tricks as these. 

2. Only, let nothing be done merely to show off the 
skill. Carefully let the superintendent and teachers con- 
sider the proposed contribution to the school hour, and 
use it only in case it meets " a felt need." 

3. And not even then, unless it can come into the 
time I have set apart in my table for " extras," or for 
getting to classes, and the like. The time for singing, 
Bible, prayer, and teaching is not too long by a second, 
and those four items are more important than anything 
the brightest superintendent is likely to say. 

I am truly sorry for the superintendent that needs a 
muzzle. It is hard to suppress ideas that are eager for 
utterance, " thoughts that breathe and words that burn." 
But, for the good of the school and the cause of Christ, 
let the muzzle be gracefully assumed and heroically worn. 
Ere long — trust me — will come a beautiful transforma- 
tion. The muzzle will be sublimed, will be elevated, will 
become a ring of light, and will shine above the superin- 
tendent's head as a martyr's aureole ! 



CHAPTER XXVII 



"PEARLS BEFORE SWIJSTE " 



Many more teachers than would care to acknowledge 
it have the " pearls before swine " feeling. That is, 
when they are urged to lavish themselves upon their 
classes, to study long, to think hard, to plan like states- 
men and teach with the zeal of jury lawyers, they begin 
to object : " It would be a waste of effort. The schol- 
ars would not appreciate it. They are too young, too 
careless, too {in a whisper) stupid. It would be casting 
pearls before swine." 

Not that any teacher would in so many words call his 
own best thoughts "pearls" and his scholars "swine," 
but — some things are too good for them. "You can 
carry a thing too far, you understand." 

No, no, no ! Nothing can be too good for your scholars. 
No teaching can be too wise, too true, too loving, too 
helpful. Since the days of Robert Raikes, no Sunday- 
school lesson was ever taught too well. 

On the contrary, it is the teacher's failure to pour out 
his best that has caused the failure of every class that 
ever failed. Only as we recognize the truth that this 
Sunday-school task is the noblest ever given workman to 
accomplish, the most difficult, the most glorious, right- 
fully demanding our utmost resources, can we succeed in 
it and enjoy it. 

218 



" PEARLS BEFORE SWI^E " 219 

To be sure, there may be too much preparation of a 
certain sort: Miss Crayon gets an idea for a pretty 
blackboard design, and she spends so much time in pre- 
paring it that she can bring her class only the haziest 
knowledge of the lesson story, quite lost in a rainbow 
mist of hearts and arrows and chains and initials off on 
a lark. 

Dr. Cannon loads up for his class of restless boys with 
a big charge of historical facts, the entire history of the 
house of Herods, and quite forgets to consider a single 
point in which the lesson might hit their lives. 

Young Mr. Shiner revels in anecdotes and brilliant 
illustrations. His study for Sunday-school consists in 
collecting a great variety of these, a variety so great 
that they mutually obliterate one another and transform 
the lesson into a Foster's Cyclopedia. 

Dear Mrs. Grind plods painfully through half a dozen 
commentaries, taking copious notes from each, and leaves 
herself no time to arrange her stores of information, 
assimilate them, and prepare them for introduction into 
other heads. 

Now all of these typical cases might be described not 
as too much pearl but as too much oyster. The pearl, 
if there is any, is lost, smothered. There cannot be too 
good preparation for teaching that Sunday-school lesson ; 
but to be good preparation it must be well balanced. It 
must shape itself into sensible, natural questions. It 
must leave room for — indeed, it must include — visiting 
the scholars, writing letters to them, learning the lives 
to which you are to minister. Yes, and it must not be 
so arduous preparation as to forfeit that buoyancy of 



220 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

body and freshness of mind in which alone the teaching 
can be vigorous, attractive, and fruitful. 

Unsuited to the Scholars. — There is something else 
which is sometimes called throwing pearls before swine, 
— the use in teaching of what is good in itself, and, very 
likely, of a sort that is needed in the balance of the 
lesson, but it is not suited to the age or circumstances of 
the scholars. 

For instance, before a class of children coming from 
ignorant homes, the teacher uses an illustration from the 
Sistine Madonna ; no photograph, you understand ; 
nothing but Mrs. Jameson. Now that was no casting 
of pearls before swine; it was not a pearl at all, but a 
ball of clumsy clay. The pearl might have been an 
illustration taken from a tulip, or a robin, or a chestnut- 
tree. 

It is well that sometime the scholars should know 
something about the principal theories of inspiration, but 
that, good in itself, is anything but good for a class of 
fidget}^ boys. It is well that sometime the scholars 
should know the value of a denarius, but in the primary 
department you would better call it a penny. The 
teacher should know these things, but to tell them to 
the children before they are ready to remember them is 
a waste of precious opportunity. One of the gardener's 
hardest tasks is to thin out the flowers, throwing away 
pansies and portulacas just because there is no room for 
them to grow without spoiling other pansies and 
portulacas. Precisely this bit of resignation every 
teacher must undertake in the interest of his class, 
mercilessly casting out of his presentation of the lesson 



221 

every illustration that will clog, every fact that will 
confuse, and every teaching that does not fit their lives. 

Ah, you teachers who may have thought it possible 
in your class to "cast pearls before swine," build up your 
lesson like a pearl! Pearl-fashion, seek first for a 
nucleus, a strong central truth, and let your thoughts 
all grow to that. Then, as the oyster sucks in the sea- 
water, great gulps of it, so do you read widely and 
study much. As the oyster draws from the waves for 
its pearl nothing but their lime, not even the gold that 
is in them, so do you draw from all this flood of material 
only what fits yourself and your class. And then brood 
over it. Enwrap it in many folds, as the oyster wraps 
the growing pearl. Put in the colors, the anecdotes and 
illustrations, so that it w T ill shine and attract. Roll it 
over and over in your mind, until you can present it 
with no roughnesses, well rounded and perfect. Medi- 
tate over it, brood it. 

And then, all being ready, and the day of days having 
come, a pearl before God's little ones! Though it is 
only a seed pearl, lay it before them with joy, proud and 
happy that it may shine upon their life garments. 
Sometime, in the city whose gates are pearl, you will 
see what such patient, wise, and loving work has been 
doing for yourself, that it has been fashioning gems for 
an unseen crown, a crown that will flash out glorious* 
to men and angels in the day when God makes up his 
jewels. 



CHAPTER XXVIII 

THE CLASS NUCLEUS 

The importance of this subject warrants setting it 
apart in a separate chapter, even though the chapter 
must be very brief. 

No Sunday-school teacher has a right to be discouraged 
whose class contains a nucleus. By a nucleus, I mean 
the portion of the class that attends regularly, and 
studies the lessons at home. This nucleus may consist 
of only one scholar, but, as long as he has it, the teacher 
should be of good hope. 

All growth, all life, is built up around nuclei. Given 
a nucleus, nature can make an oak, a bird, a man. 
Certainly, given a nucleus, any teacher can make a 
successful class. 

The trouble usually is that he does not know how to 
use his nucleus, how to make it a live, attractive nucleus, 
how to organize his teaching around it. For a nucleus 
is a harm, rather than a help, if the teacher works for it, 
and does not teach it to work for the other scholars. 
All his plans must be based on the nucleus, and it is a 
great temptation to stop there, — that is, to devote him- 
self wholly to the brighter and more faithful scholars. 
He will fail if he does. A nucleus is not a nucleus un- 
less it is enlarging. 

First, Recognize Your Nucleus. — This is especially im- 

222 



THE CLASS NUCLEUS 223 

portant in the adult classes, which always contain so 
many that come as mere auditors, and will not come 
otherwise. They refuse to be questioned, and they con- 
tribute nothing to the discussions. Out of deference to 
this large element, the teachers of many adult classes 
never address the members of the class by name, but 
project their questions blankly, and usually with blank 
returns. 

Now in all such classes a nucleus should quietly be 
formed. The teacher should go to each scholar, and 
ask, "Are you willing that I should question you by 
name ? " It should be understood that no one will thus 
be questioned that has not given express permission, and 
each newcomer might be notified of the fact. Then the 
teacher should persistently and tactfully work to enlarge 
this inner circle. 

Especially in classes of children, the nucleus may be 
set to work helping the other scholars into more active 
interest. The wise teacher will do nothing himself that 
he can get the nucleus to do for him. Every scholar that 
can be made such he will install as an assistant teacher. 
If he can do it wisely, without arousing vanity, he will 
tell such scholars what he expects from them, and how 
much depends on them. He will set his class to study- 
ing together in their homes, two by two, a brighter 
scholar — a member of the nucleus — with one that is 
duller or more careless. He will get these brighter 
scholars to write little essays on topics connected with 
the lessons, prepare sets of questions for propounding to 
the class, put diagrams on the blackboard, hunt up pas- 
sages in commentaries illuminating the lesson. In plan- 



224 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

ning — far ahead — for every lesson, he will plan how to 
get his scholars to help him teach that lesson. 

This is not easy. No work of creation is easy. It 
requires less skill to pile up a million bricks than to 
make of one of them a purposeful, organizing life-centre. 
But the true teacher is not seeking dead bulk ; he is seek- 
ing life. 



CHAPTER XXIX 

WHAT TO DO WITH " THE HIGHER CRITICISM " 

A Modern Parable. — They were rearing a beautiful 
building. The architect's plans called for a structure of 
magnificent proportions, massive in bulk yet delicate and 
graceful in outline. It was to stand for time and 
eternity. 

For a tedious while the preparations had been making. 
There was a large excavation, waiting for the founda- 
tion, and great heaps of stone and wood lay ready for 
mason and carpenter. At last, one lovely spring day, 
the derricks all in place, the mortar mixed, the workmen 
singing with a zest, they began to lay the foundations 
with ponderous blocks of limestone. 

Then strolled along three young gentlemen, all with 
lofty foreheads, all with supremely self-satisfied air, and 
all with spectacles. 

" Hold ! " they cried, simultaneously, to the laborers. 
"Don't lower that block till we determine its geological 
•age." 

The puzzled workmen, confused, obeyed the authorita- 
tive mandate. 

Thereupon the young gentlemen with the spectacles 
gathered around the stone as it swung from the derrick, 
and began to chip pieces from it. 

225 



226 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

"Observe this trilobite," said one, proudly exhibiting 
the fossil. "It is a Silurian trilobite, — Upper Silurian." 
And he reeled off a Latin name as long as his nose. 

" I am sorry to differ," remarked another, cracking off 
a large piece from a corner, " but this brachiopod is cer- 
tainly Devonian. Observe it." And the Latin name he 
gave his fossil was as long as his face. 

" Gentlemen," said the third young man, viewing a 
bit of the limestone through a pocket microscope, " I 
grieve to note your errors, but you have failed to take 
into account these traces of organic remains, certainly 
ferns of a well-marked variety." And he introduced a 
Latin name as long as a yardstick. " This limestone is 
manifestly of the Carboniferous age." 

"But," said the first, "it must be Upper Silurian, 
because " 

" Nonsense ! " exclaimed the second simultaneously, 
"it must be Devonian, as any fool can see, because — — " 

Thus they continued, with great vehemence, the Latin 
names growing longer and longer, and the stone growing 
smaller and smaller as they chipped away at it. In the 
meantime, the dismayed and puzzled workmen looked on 
with open mouths, and as for the building, it was at a 
standstill. 

At last the contractor himself came bustling up. 

" What's all this ? " he cried indignantly. " Who are 
you three fellows ? and what do you mean by cutting 
that stone to pieces ? " 

" We are professors of geology," they complacently ex- 
plained. " We are possessed of scientific minds. These 
ignorant workmen were about to lay a foundation com- 



WHAT TO DO WITH " THE HIGHER CRITICISM" 227 

posed of limestone whose age had not been determined. 
Such an unscientific procedure is at variance with the 
spirit of the times. It was of the utmost importance to 
determine the period to which the block must be re- 
ferred, and happily we have discovered that it is — Upper 
Silurian," said the first; " Devonian," said the second; 
" Carboniferous," said the third. Then they went at it 
again. 

But the contractor was a plain, blunt man. " You 
meddlesome braggarts," he cried, " get out of the way of 
my derrick ! Leave my stone alone ! It's good founda- 
tion stone, and that's all I want to know." 

"But don't be so hasty, my friend," softly said the 
first professor. " Some Upper Silurian is ill-suited to 
your purpose. Only certain portions are adapted to 
foundations. Just wait a while, till I have made a thor- 
ough examination, and I can tell you whether, for in- 
stance, this is the famous Niagara limestone, and pos- 
sessed of hydraulic properties." 

"How can it be," interposed the second professor, 
" since it is manifestly Devonian ? This brachio- 
pod " 

" fie ! " interrupted the third professor ; " this is ab- 
surd, for any tyro in geology can see that it is Carbon- 
iferous. These organic remains " 

And they went at it again as hard as ever, chipping 
away on the block. 

The contractor's patience was exhausted. "Clear 
out ! " he shouted, inelegantly, and fell to belaboring the 
professors with his walking stick. 

Thereupon the three beat a hasty retreat, their eyes 



228 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

shining with delight. " Now we shall be famous," said 
they. "Now we shall get big salaries, and be asked to 
give lecture courses around the country, for we have be- 
come scientific martyrs." 

But the workmen proceeded to erect the building. 

The Parable Applied. — And now surely no one of my 
readers needs an unfolding of my parable. We believe, 
all of us, that the Bible is the best foundation stone for 
a young life ; nay, the best quarry of foundation stones. 
Our belief rests not on our own inadequate opinion, but 
on the uniform experience of centuries, the triumphant 
testimony of all biography. We know beyond a perad- 
venture that the men and women whose minds were 
filled with the Bible in their youth, are those that have 
built upon that basis the most noble and enduring struc- 
tures of character and accomplishment. We have found 
good foundation stone in all parts of this Bible quarry. 
Some of the blocks sparkle with crystals while others 
are plain ; some are flinty while others are pure lime- 
stone ; but all are solid, substantial blocks, good for the 
loftiest building that can be erected upon them, and for 
as long a time as the building will endure. 

Knowing this, and being eager to lay the founda- 
tions, since lives are building ceaselessly and will not 
wait for us, but will build on the sand if we do not lay 
the firm foundations, — this being the case, can any one 
wonder that we grow impatient with these endless de- 
bates as to the age of this or that portion of our Bible 
quarry, the way in which such and such strata were laid 
down, whether by one sea or two or many successive 
seas, and that we are sometimes gruff and perhaps un- 



WHAT TO DO WITH "THE HIGHER CRITICISM" 229 

mannerly in bidding the disputants step aside and let us 
do our work ? 

Not that for a moment any one of us would wish to 
teach the young an untruth, about the Bible or anything 
else. Surely, if any one has a right to the truth, it is an 
awakening intelligence, first looking out upon our com- 
plex and difficult life. I can conceive no blacker treason 
to God and man than to teach a child a lie. 

But, even granting that these theories of the destruc- 
tive critics of the Bible are true, it does not follow that 
they should be laid before the young. What would have 
been the result had the boy Gladstone been given to 
study a Polychrome Homer? When Edward Everett 
Hale, the brilliant lad, lay out on the ridgepole of his 
father's house and translated six books of Virgil's 
iEneid in the three hours of one afternoon, what would 
have been the result if he had had to take cognizance of 
the variant readings ? Suppose Charles Lamb, on his 
first acquaintance with the Shakespeare he came to love 
so ardently, had been confronted with a zealous and 
crafty advocate of the Baconian theory ; should we ever 
have had the " Tales from Shakespeare " ? We talk 
much of pedagogy. It is the most vicious of pedagogy 
to invert the order of nature, to place the analytical be- 
fore the synthetical, to generalize before we particularize, 
to discuss geologic eras before the pupil knows limestone 
from granite. 

The wise teacher in the grammar school does not de- 
bate the theories of evolution, but he sets his scholars to 
hunting for snails, and noting how they move, and how 
their shell grows, and how they work their strap-like 



230 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

tongue. He does not teach them the nebular hypothesis, 
but bids them observe the moon, and look for Jupiter's 
satellites through an opera glass. Pie gives them no les- 
sons in the calculus, nor speculates concerning the fourth 
dimension, but grounds them in the multiplication table 
and in long division. His classes do not study compara- 
tive philology, but they build simple English sentences ; 
nor do they bother their heads with diatoms, but learn 
to tell petals from sepals. So in our Sunday schools the 
wise teacher will not discuss theories of inspiration, or 
dates of composition, or unity of authorship, or authen- 
ticity of manuscripts, but he will teach the ten command- 
ments and the eight beatitudes, illustrating them by the 
lives of all the heroes and renegades, the saints and sin- 
ners, from Adam in Eden to John in Patmos. 

When one speaks in this way, one is very likely to be 
misunderstood. Let me repeat. No one wants the 
young taught anything that is not true. It would be a 
sin knowingly to teach a child anything that he must un- 
learn in later years. That process of unlearning is the 
most dangerous of processes. It is building a house on a 
rotten foundation, and being compelled to move it bodily 
to another foundation, or to lift it and put another 
foundation below. The process is long and costly. 
Moreover, it is certain to rack the house. 

But if a child is not to be taught untruths, neither is 
he to be taught guesses at truth. He is to be taught 
nothing that must be taught apologetically, shrinkingly, 
as if afraid. We must teach new truth, if we teach it at 
all, with boldness and enthusiasm. If, for example, we 
consider the theory of a second Isaiah to be proved, we 



WHAT TO DO WITH " THE HIGHER CRITICISM" 231 

must not talk about it with regret or even cautiously and 
defensively, but with exultant delight in the addition of 
a splendid new prophet to the long line of men of God. 
We have no loss in Messianic prophecy, but rather a sub- 
lime and unexpected gain. So will it be with any Bible 
discovery when it is actually proved. It will manifest 
its divine origin by confirming our faith rather than 
weakening it, and increasing rather than diminishing our 
zeal for Holy Writ. Until a theory or an assumed dis- 
covery can be taught in that spirit to young people, it 
should not be taught to them at all. 

The young, we must remember, have no skeptical 
tendencies. They do not naturally test and discriminate, 
but believe. To lay before them different theories and 
bid them weigh and select, is only to confuse and perplex 
them. Careful, courageous, independent examination of 
truth is an ability they win only later, through long proc- 
esses of education. What is doubtful and debatable has 
no fit place in a child's curriculum, — only what is sure. 

This is not to say that the young cannot see fallacies. 
Their minds are frank and honest, and instinctively 
abhor the disingenuous. If some of the modern theories 
of the Bible are true, the books to which those theories 
apply have no proper place in our Sunday schools. If, 
for example, we are to believe that the writers, or, if you 
prefer, the compilers, of the books of Samuel and the 
Chronicles deliberately falsified the record, and, to gain 
their ends, whether to exalt the priesthood or what not, 
wrested .the facts from their true setting, modified this, 
enlarged upon that, imagined the other, omitted here and 
inserted there, — if we are to believe this falsification of 



232 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

history to serve the purposes of party, then let us keep 
such literature from the eyes of children. Explain as you 
please, you can never persuade boys and girls that mo- 
tives that would be dishonorable in writers to-day Avere 
any less dishonorable twenty -live centuries ago. Their 
pure minds cannot be made to admire what is tricky and 
false. Tell them — and it will be true — that it is from the 
Bible that we gain all our ideals of inflexible integrity, 
and they will ask in their hearts, if not in words, " Doth 
a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and 
bitter ? " If such scholars are right as those that wrote 
the Encyclopedia Biblica, if the Bible is a farrago of 
myths and misrepresentations, we have no further use for 
Bible schools ; we might far better set our children to 
studying Socrates in the past and Emerson and Tolstoi in 
the present. At least so far as the young are concerned 
there is no midway course ; it is either the rejection of 
such theories with horror, or the rejection of the Bible as 
a guide for the young along ways of uprightness and 
truth. 

This is an age of cynicism. We need to teach the 
young the blessed power of faith. Trust men, trust your- 
self, trust your God, — hardly could three more valuable 
lessons be inculcated. But what message for an age of 
cynicism has this contemptuous criticism, that does not 
hesitate to ascribe to the authors of Scripture motives 
that would forever dishonor a modern gentleman ? 
Those that are taught in such a school might well carry 
forth the blasting maxim, "Every man has his price." 

And not only is this an age of cynicism ; it is an age 
of materialism, of bowing before the seen. Against this 



WHAT TO DO WITH 

our religious education must arm the young, if they are 
to be armed against it at all. It is the chief count 
against the destructive critics of the Bible that they are 
either open or secret disbelievers in the supernatural. 
At every turn they minimize it. That a passage in 
Scripture reports a miracle or tends to substantiate one, 
is to their minds conclusive evidence against its genu- 
ineness. 

Now the young have no difficulty with miracles and 
other manifestations of the supernatural. They see the 
reasonableness of the supernatural. They are not yet 
sense-bound. Miracles appeal, not to their love of the 
marvelous, but to their fresh and untrammeled instincts, 
free thus far from the yoke of the visible universe. The 
Bible is the book of the young and of the old because it 
reveals most clearly the unseen world to which young 
and old are nearest. Too soon the yoke of dollars will 
press upon our children's necks. Let us teach them to 
throw it off, and gaze straight up into heaven. One 
thing, one thing above all others I would have a child of 
mine taught, and that is the vivid reality of the super- 
natural, the certainty of the spiritual world, so that he 
shall be more conscious of God's eye than of any human 
countenance, more sure of God's leading than of any 
human opinion. I would rather my child should be a 
believer in special providences than in the Pythagorean 
theorem. That my child's life should be interwoven with 
the supernatural will be of infinitely greater advantage, 
mental and practical, than a knowledge of history and 
science and art. 

Many modern tendencies in the Sunday schools contra- 



234 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

vene all this. Men are talking about Sunday-school les- 
sons as if the teaching of conduct, the making of Chris- 
tians, were secondary, while the prime purpose should be 
a mastery of Hebrew history and literature. I am ready 
to be counted an old fogy. I am ready to admit my be- 
lief that if you eliminate from Hebrew history the story 
of the Cross, as the vitalizing nerve of it all, our scholars 
would get more good from a history of America ; if your 
study of Hebrew literature is only a simplified edition of 
the International Critical Commentary, if it is to be 
studied apart from the life and not as our only and ade- 
quate rule of faith and conduct, then I think our Sunday 
schools would better turn to English literature. 

What the young need most is trust to conquer cyni- 
cism, the spiritual and unseen to conquer materialism, 
Calvary to conquer Yanity Fair. In these three things 
their safety consists, and not in any furbishing of the in- 
tellect with strophes and antistrophes, priestly code or 
Maccabean era. 

What shall be our Bible-teaching, that these strong 
ends shall be gained from It? What Bible-teaching is 
safe for the young, and will give their lives a safe foun- 
dation ? It will have six elements. 

First, Bible history, but Bible history taught for the 
purpose of showing God's clear leading in the history, 
and therefore, less evidently but no less really, in all his- 
tory. It is this great and constant purpose that should 
characterize all our teaching of Bible history in the Sun- 
day school. 

Second, Bible literature, but Bible literature taught as 
God's w r ords to men, his authentic message, the fountain 



WHAT TO DO WITH " THE HIGHER CRITICISM " 235 

and test therefore of all other literature, in beauty, va- 
riety, and worldwide, perennial power. All lesser teach- 
ing of Bible literature is like using gold to paint a 
barn. 

Third, Bible ethics, but as the source, the authoritative 
source of our human laws, as the one sufficient guide of 
human life. To teach it as we would teach the ethics of 
Plato is to place modern London on the level of modern 
Athens. 

Fourth, Bible revelation, the teachings of the Bible 
about hidden things, about immortality, heaven, and hell, 
about the nature of God, about conscience, sin, penalty, 
conversion, regeneration, sanctification, inspiration. 
These great truths should be taught as coincident with 
reason and approved by experience, but yet as issuing 
from the very mind of God, who alone could conceive 
them and reveal them to us. 

Fifth, Christ, the climax and sum of revelation, his 
character, in all its appealing grace, its convincing maj- 
esty, the one enfolding miracle of all miracles. 

And sixth, the history of the Book, how it was made, 
its unity, the impossibility that such men as its writers 
and such circumstances as surrounded its production 
could have yielded such a book unaided by the controlling 
will and immediate guidance of God such as no other 
book has had ; and then its transmission, the wonderful 
story of the manuscripts, of the Vatican, of Sinai, of 
Egyptian sands and Babylonian hills, the translations 
and versions, the martyrs, the Wycliffes and Tyndales ; 
and finally the Bible at work in the modern world, the 
marvels of missions, and the vast and beneficent civiliza- 



236 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

tions built upon the Book, — a structure such as only the 
Immutable Kock of Holy Scripture could sustain. 

Ah, let us teach our children these six things before 
we trouble them with the question of two Isaiahs or the 
date of Deuteronomy ! And what I say of children I 
say also of those childlike, undeveloped minds found, 
often preponderatingly, in all congregations. Too much 
preaching is for the handful of scholars that may be in 
the church. For their sake topics are treated that do not 
shake their well-founded faith, but for the large majority 
send the entire fabric of religion tumbling down. An 
iconoclastic impression is given rather than an edifying 
one. We need a sense of proportion. We need to learn 
how ignorant of the Bible the masses really are, how 
poorly founded in their faith, and we need to set to work 
on fundamentals. 

I long to see more teaching of Christian evidences, more 
proofs in sermons and Sunday schools. Not proof texts, 
observe, but proofs of proof texts. The world, young 
and old, can readily spare a recital of what we do not 
believe ; they need to be told what we do believe, and to 
be made to believe it. It would be a vast gain, for in- 
stance, if our ministers would take half the meeting hour 
of their young people's societies for definite instruction 
in Christian evidences, with such a text-book as Robin- 
son's or Fisher's. If there are doubts, the young should 
be shielded from them. If there are realities, confidence, 
conviction, the young have a right to them. So far from 
being introduced to infidelities, unconsciously to them- 
selves they should be armed against them. The founda- 
tions of our holy faith should be laid in their young lives 



WHAT TO DO WITH "THE HIGHER CRITICISM" 237 

so securely that no assault of the devil should in later 
years batter them down. 

The walls of the New Jerusalem, that John saw in his 
vision, — I think of them as still a- building, and as made 
of the Christ-inspired deeds of men. Course upon course 
they rise into the celestial azure, sapphire and jasper, 
emerald and chrysoprase, the enduring counterpart of 
lives lived rightly here on earth. Some day they will 
descend out of heaven, all these heaped-up stores of 
divine grace and human obedience, and will surround and 
capture and transform till we shall have a new earth after 
the pattern of heaven. In that day we shall see, I think, 
that of all the fair blocks laid in the celestial walls none 
are fairer, none more resplendent with enduring lustre, 
than those that mean the teaching of God's truth to the 
children. If we would have a share in that divine up- 
building, we must teach as God's w r isdom teaches us, our 
work must be without the flaws of pride and presump- 
tion, the fool's gold of worldly vanities. With the hum- 
ble heart of a child we must seek what God would have 
us teach the children, and he who hides himself from the 
wise and prudent but reveals himself to babes will gra- 
ciously guide us into all truth. 



CHAPTER XXX 

THAT EASILY POSSIBLE TEACHERS'-MEETING 

Not everywhere is it possible to form a normal class 
in which teachers shall be taught, but it is possible every- 
where to hold a teachers'-meeting in which teachers shall 
confer. Nor even when, from geographical limitations, 
the teachers cannot actually meet, would I grant the im- 
possibility of a teachers'-meeting, since a " round robin" 
could be passed from one to another, each relating in 
writing his perplexities and successes, and commenting 
on the letters that have preceded. 

The teachers'-meeting is a sort of Sunday-school stock 
exchange, to which every teacher contributes what he 
knows about the school, the lesson, and how to 
teach it, and from which he goes enriched by all that the 
others know. For its leader there is needed, not a super- 
lative teacher, but a good executive, able to draw from 
each, in an orderly and attractive way, whatever he can 
contribute to the aid of all. 

If this simple idea] were kept before us, more teachers'- 
meetings would be undertaken and fewer would be aban- 
doned. The trouble generally is that the teachers'-meet- 
ing is conducted by some teacher of an adult class, and 
as an adult class. It is forgotten that the majority of 
teachers are teachers of children, and the children's 
needs are ignored. The meeting is too old ; no wonder 
it dies. 

238 



THAT EASILY POSSIBLE TEACHERS'-MEETING 239 

" As iron sharpeneth iron, so man sharpeneth the 
countenance of his friend." Though all the teachers are 
commonplace, that need not prevent their helping one 
another ; and those that avail themselves of others' help 
do not long remain commonplace. If you think your- 
self unable in the least to inform or inspire your fellow- 
teachers, you think too lowly of yourself. If you think 
you do not need the help of even the least of them, you 
think too highly of yourself. 

One of the most valuable kinds of teachers'-meeting 
requires from the teachers no originality whatever, merely 
wise selection. Simply let the teachers conspire together 
to own as great a variety of teachers' helps as possible, — 
Peloubet's, Hurlbut's, Monday Club, the rest of the an- 
nuals ; Westminster, Pilgrim, Journal, Baptist Teacher, 
the rest of the monthlies ; The Sunday School Times, In- 
ternational Evangel, English Sunday School Chronicle, 
the rest of the weeklies, — and let each bring to the les- 
son discussion the best plan and brightest thought from 
his own book or periodical. Then add, for the teacher's 
art and the general conduct of the school, such books as 
Dr. Trumbull's wise "Teaching and Teachers," a chapter 
a night, w r ith free comments. What school would not 
be blessed by a teachers'-meeting like this, so easily pos- 
sible ? 

Many teachers'-meetings come to be abandoned because 
they are one-man meetings, and when the one man yields 
to nervous prostration, they also die. Now there are a 
number of ways of dividing the work required by a 
teachers'-meeting. One is, to make each teacher in .turn 
responsible for the conduct of a meeting, with liberty to 



240 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

get his work done for him, if he can, by some skilled 
teacher from a distance. 

An excellent method is to persuade each teacher to 
adopt a specialty. Mr. Cadwallader may decide to be- 
come local authority on Hebrew customs. Miss Ben- 
thorp may take up the work of collecting attractive and 
telling anecdotes and illustrations. Mrs. Ogleby may de- 
cide to perfect herself in blackboard work. Others will 
look after the course of history, the practical applica- 
tions, the side-lights from other Scriptures, and so forth. 
Each will polish his specialty on every lesson until it 
shines, and some day they will all trade specialties with 
one another. 

The same end, the division of labor, may be gained by 
the lavish appointment of committees of one, — a com- 
mittee to read the newspapers, and bring to the lesson 
the light of current events ; a committee to visit other 
schools and correspond with them in quest of fresh 
methods ; a committee on suggestions from papers and 
books ; a committee on Sunday-school conventions, to at- 
tend in person or to read the reports and glean from 
them, and the like. Of course, all the teachers would 
serve on these committees in turn. 

The executive committee, however, the planning and 
managing committee, might well be permanent, after 
you get a successful one. Among the factors of their 
success will be their power of drawing out plans from 
others. There might well be a regular time, in every 
meeting, to invite new ideas for the conduct of future 
meetings. Indeed, though the teachers'-meetings should 
be methodical, and should proceed, at least for a period, 



THAT EASILY POSSIBLE TEACHERS'-MEETING 241 

according to a well-digested system, yet they should be 
to the teachers a model of varied ingenuity, since, if they 
fall into a rut, the school will certainly tumble after. 

For example of possible variety, take the opening 
reading of the lesson text. Two teachers might read it 
antiphonally, one giving a verse in the Authorized Ver- 
sion, the other following with the same verse in the Ee- 
vised Version. Now the text might be read in a para- 
phrase, and now in a poetical rendering. Some German 
scholar might translate it from Luther's Bible, or some 
classical scholar from the Greek. The conversational 
and dramatic selections could be arranged as dialogues. 
The reading of verses might be interlarded with brisk, 
revealing comments. 

Indeed, though the outline of exercises may remain 
constant, let the emphasis continually vary. This week 
make a specialty of the study of questions, next week of 
illustrative applications, next week of reviews, next week 
of the important matter of lesson outlines. There might 
even be a short paper on the evening's specialty, followed 
by a discussion and examples ; and thus, though the en- 
tire lesson is always studied, every meeting will mark a 
distinct pedagogical advance. 

Next to promptness in arriving, the meeting's vigor 
will depend on the leader's celerity in grappling with the 
main subject. A vast amount of time is wasted in teach- 
ers'-meetings in clumsy efforts at thoroughness, leading 
to the relation of much that the teachers know perfectly 
well already. A good leader will consider first of all 
how much may safely be omitted and taken for granted. 
A verse-by-verse treatment is seldom needed. The best 



242 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

introduction to most divisions of the lesson is the simple 
query, " Has any one a question to ask on this point ? " 
Occasionally make a special request that each teacher 
bring to the next meeting one difficulty he has encoun- 
tered in the study of the lesson, and then attack these 
difficulties at the very outset. 

Get the Teachers to Question. — Broadly speaking, the 
more the teachers themselves can be persuaded into the 
interrogative mood the better. Distribute slips of paper 
now and then, that the teachers may write out their per- 
plexities for discussion at the next meeting. Occasion- 
ally get a skilled worker to preside over a " question- 
box," or get a skilled questioner to plan queries for an 
" answer-box," to be filled by the teachers. Sometimes 
appoint a teacher who will prepare himself to stand up 
and be questioned on the lesson, and sometimes appoint 
a teacher to prepare a set of questions for use at the next 
meeting. This last will be an especially valuable exercise 
if you will criticise these questions, regarding both form 
and matter, as they are used. Sometimes select a printed 
set of questions, and make them the basis of the study, 
criticising them also. Few of our teachers'-meetings 
give sufficient drill on the teacher's fundamental art, the 
art of questioning. 

As another general rule, the more the teachers'-meet- 
ing is planned to draw out all the teachers, especially the 
retiring ones, the more useful and attractive will it be. 
There are many methods. For a while, appoint one 
teacher each week to tell how he proposes to teach his 
class on the next Sunday. Then let the whole meeting 
criticise his plan, favorably or unfavorably. Now and 



THAT EASILY POSSIBLE TEACHERS'-MEETUNTG 243 

then, for a change, ask Miss A to tell how she would 

teach the lesson to Mr. B 's class, getting the primary 

teacher, for instance, to describe her ideal of an hour in 
the adult class. One week, ask all the teachers to come 
ready to name what each will make the leading thought 
in the lesson as he teaches it. Another week, divide the 
verses among the teachers, requesting each to bring the 
brightest thought he can find on his verse, original or 
selected. Occasionally assign to each teacher one or 
more verses of the lesson text, that he may lead the dis- 
cussion of that portion at the next meeting. Once in a 
while, not often, persuade a teacher to treat the other 
teachers as children, and teach the lesson to them as she 
would teach her own class, that she may profit by help- 
ful criticism. Urge the constant use of notebooks, and, 
that the points of especial helpfulness may not be lost in 
a swarm of details, select for each week a summarist, 
who will close the session with brisk reminders of the 
best suggestions. In many other ways besides these the 
members of the class may be set to work. 

Do not, in your zeal for the lesson, forget the general 
interests of the school. At regular intervals you might 
make time for papers on the several problems of your 
school, each introducing a thorough discussion. It would 
be an excellent plan to fix a " problem time " in every 
teachers'-meeting, — a time for the statement of difficulties 
connected with school management or with teaching. 
The themes thus brought up will be treated in their turn 
as soon as is convenient. The same end may be gained, 
if the teachers are in earnest, by a " suggestion box," or 
a " problem box," placed at' the entrance of their meet- 



244 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

ing-room. It will prove a great gain if now and then the 
teachers'-meeting shall resolve itself into a prayer meet- 
ing at the close, and carry these perplexities to the Teacher 
of teachers. 

Hold Closely to the Lesson. — It is certain, however, 
that the teachers will be held most closely to the meeting 
if the greater part of each session, though the general 
interests of the school are not forgotten, bears practically 
and directly on the next Sunday's lesson, giving them 
what they can utilize in their classes. For example, 
open each teachers'-meeting with few preliminaries, little 
singing, a brief prayer. Manage to present always at the 
start some broad view of the lesson, which will act as a 
solvent, a combiner, an organizer. Every school should 
own some manifolding contrivance, and by its use a copy 
of such an outline might be made for every teacher 
together with copies of some illuminating poem, useful 
for distribution among the scholars, or even of some 
clarifying diagram, or suggestive sketch, or map. Indeed, 
it would be easy for this teachers' organization to 
gather and own a large and increasingly valuable col- 
lection of pictures to illustrate the lessons, and even 
of " curios " illustrating the customs of Eastern 
countries. 

At the opening of each quarter, a "looking forward" 
meeting should be held. The outline of history to be 
studied might be fixed by diagrams and a paper or a 
talk. The logical succession and interdependence of the 
lessons should be brought out. A series of lesson key- 
words might be adopted. The quarter's Golden Text 
might be studied, and the teachers should decide what 



THAT EASILY POSSIBLE TEACHERS'-MEETING 245 

are the main truths to be evolved from the three months' 
lessons, and what facts, as well as what spiritual impres- 
sions, the scholars may fairly be expected to carry from 
the quarter's study. 

Midway through the term (I am merely giving sample 
outlines) the teachers might hold a " question meeting," 
in preparation for which the following comprehensive 
queries might be printed on a manifolder, and distributed 
among the teachers : " How are you going to review the 
last lesson ? How will you bring out the connecting 
links between the last lesson and this ? How will you 
introduce this iesson ? How bring out its facts ? How 
impress them ? How illustrate its truths ? How apply 
them to the lives of your scholars ? How set your 
scholars to studying the next lesson ? " Eight teachers 
should be appointed, one for each of these questions, to 
lead in the discussion of it. 

Then, at the close of the quarter, there should be held 
a " looking-backward " meeting, in which, at all events, 
one plan for review day may be illustrated. For in- 
stance, the teachers might practice describing for each 
other the various scenes studied during the quarter, 
omitting all proper names and other manifest designa- 
tions, the rest of the teachers to guess what scene in each 
case has been described. The week before, — on another 
occasion, — each teacher might be asked to prepare a set 
of twelve questions, which, in his judgment, will best 
draw out the facts and truths of the quarter, and from 
these sets the teachers would put together a model dozen 
of questions. At other times, the meeting might con- 
sider what simple outline would best fix the course of the 



246 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

history studied, or the teachers might prepare a scheme 
for written examinations in all classes. 

And now I have sufficiently illustrated my idea of a 
teachers'-meeting, — a meeting so simple in its elements 
that any set of teachers may successfully conduct it, yet 
so expansive and enticing in its possibilities that the 
wisest and most skilful may find in it the amplest scope. 
It is not to take the place of individual study, or of special 
plans suited to the needs of individual classes. Its pur- 
pose is information and inspiration, not adaptation. 
There is no short cut to Sunday-school success, and no 
teachers'-meeting can convert a lazy man into a teacher. 
But wherever a company of earnest, teachable Christians, 
longing after the garner of souls, meet together with the 
single purpose to become better teachers, there will the 
Teacher be in the midst of them, and there will he him- 
self conduct a school of the prophets. 



CHAPTER XXXI 

THE EIGHT BAIT 

When I go fishing up in the Maine wilderness, I find 
that it makes all the difference in the world what fly I 
put on my line. Certain conditions of water, weather, 
and time of day call for a " dusky miller." Certain quite 
different conditions call for a u silver doctor." When a 
trout wants a " Parmachene belle" he wants just that, 
and nothing else. Except a worm. 

There is one problem that is foremost in the thoughts 
of all earnest Sunday-school workers, and that is how to 
catch and hold the boys. This anxiety overmatches all 
other anxieties combined. And the question, as I look at 
it, is primarily one of the right bait. 

When I go fishing for trout, I do not consider what I 
liked for breakfast nor what I want for dinner; I con- 
sider what the trout's mouth is watering for. When the 
average teacher goes fishing for a boy, however, I fear 
that she bases her campaign entirely on her own likes 
and dislikes. She is interested in pretty little stories 
with lovely morals, and she takes it for granted that the 
boys will be interested in the same thing. She is fasci- 
nated with a volume of Mr. Meyer's noble expositions, 
and she jumps to the conclusion that the boys will be glad 
to have her read a chapter to them. She is delighted to 
discover the hidden symbolism of the Bible, as that 
Goliath typifies worldliness and David the quiet power 

247 



24S SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

of Christian faith, and she is entirely oblivious to the 
boy's concentration of interest on Goliath's armor and 
David's sling. In short, when the trout wanted " dusky 
millers" she has been baiting her line with " silver 
doctors," and the trout swim scornfully away. 

No one can win a boy except with what a boy likes. 
The teacher's first task, therefore, is to discover what 
the boy likes. The discovery may be made in four 
ways : (1) by intuition, an instinctive sympathy with 
boys ; (2) by living with boys and watching them ; (3) 
by intelligent and patient experimentation, trying this 
and that and developing what is found effective ; (4) by 
the careful reading of sensible books on the question. 
Number 1 is a gift of heaven ; number 2 is a gift of cir- 
cumstances ; all of us have the beginnings of both within 
our power, and can go on to develop them. I see no rea- 
son, therefore, why the teacher may not work simulta- 
neously along all four lines of approach to the boy. 

Thus working, he will discover three fundamental facts 
about the boy: (1) that he is gregarious; (2) that he is 
play-loving ; (3) that he likes to do things. The teacher, 
man or woman, (and it may be a woman quite as success- 
fully as a man, though it usually isn't,) that wins the 
heart of the boy, will deal not with the boy but with the 
boys. He will get up a club of some sort, and ally it 
with his Sunday-school class. It may be a walking club, 
or a natural history club, or a tennis club, or a checkers 
club, or a debating club. Some way or other, he will 
utilize the social instinct of boys. What he could never 
in the world accomplish with one boy he can easily 
achieve with twenty. 



THE RIGHT BAIT 249 

Then, he will put his Sunday-school work itself as far 
as possible in the form of play. Contests to see who can 
learn the most verses, draw the best map, answer most 
questions. Bible puzzles to solve. The "spell-him- 
down " scheme applied to the lesson facts. AVooden 
models to whittle out. Diagrams to construct. Home 
studies to draw by lot. Why, if the teacher fairly 
enters into the idea, she can make Bible-study as fasci- 
nating a pursuit as foot-ball. 

And finally, the boy- winning teacher will remember 
that the boy would always rather do things than say 
things or hear things or even see things. Every boy 
will have a pencil tablet and pencil. Much of the recita- 
tion will be written, or drawn. Colored pencils will be 
at hand, for brightening maps. A blackboard will be 
part of the class furniture. Bible-marking will become a 
fascinating pursuit. Sand-maps will vivify Bible geog- 
raphy. There will be Bible biographies to write. 
There will be charts to devise. In all her work the 
teacher will ask herself not, " What shall I do ? " but, 
"What can I get the boys to do ? " 

Of course, these three suggestions run into one an- 
other. Of course, too, they cover only a part of the 
ground. But they cover a very important part of the 
ground ; and I am quite certain that attention to them 
would double the number of boys in our Sunday schools. 



CHAPTER XXXII 

HOW TO USE DECISION DAY 

A Teacher's Dream. — The teacher was dreaming. 
Sunday-school teachers often dream, and sometimes their 
dreams are nightmares. 

But this dream contained the Lord Jesus. He was 
standing with his arms stretched out, and in his eyes was 
an eager look. 

" Where are the souls of my children ? " he asked the 
teacher. 

" Here are their bodies," the teacher was able to re- 
ply. " They come to school very regularly and promptly." 

Jesus took the bodies, and they turned to dust in his 
hands. 

" Where are the souls of my children ? " Christ in- 
sisted. 

" Here are their manners," faltered the teacher. " They 
are quiet and very respectful ; they listen carefully. In- 
deed, they are beautifully behaved." 

Jesus took their manners, and they turned to ashes in 
his hands. 

Our Lord repeated his question, " Where are the souls 
of my children ? " 

"I can give you their brains," the teacher answered. 
"They can name all the books of the Bible forward and 
backward. They can repeat the list of the Hebrew 
kings. They know in order the seventy events of your 

250 



HOW TO USE DECISION DAY 251 

life on earth. They can recite the Sermon on the Mount 
from beginning to end. Really, they are excellent 
scholars." 

Jesus took their brains, and lo ! they dissolved to 
vapor, and a puff of wind blew them away. 

"Where are the souls of my children?" urged our 
Lord with sorrowful longing. 

Then the teacher was filled with an agony of shame 
that broke the bands of sleep. 

" Alas ! " cried the teacher, " I have done much for my 
children, but it is all nothing because I have not also 
done the One thing. Henceforth my teaching, though it 
traverse many ways, shall have One goal, and perhaps it 
will be given me to dream that dream again." 

What it means to bring a soul to Christ few realize, or 
many would be about it. For that soul it means peace, 
exultant and growing. It means power, assured and in- 
creasing. It means honor and prosperity, on the w r hole, 
even in this troubled world. It means this for the com- 
ing year, and those months multiplied by the long years 
of life, and that life multiplied by the unimagined 
stretches of eternity, and glorified by the unguessed joys 
of Paradise. It means this for one soul, and for all the 
others whom that one may reach, and for the myriads 
these may reach, through nations and generations. This 
is only a hint of what it means to bring a soul to Christ. 

To do this work is the main business of every Sun- 
day school. I fear that sometimes the most applauded 
scholarship of these recent days forgets this, and seems, 
at least, to consider the mummy of dead facts more im- 
portant than the living spirit that has risen from those 



252 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

cerements. Let us teach our scholars in the proportions 
that will seem fitting to us a thousand years from now. 
In the clear light of eternity we shall perceive how the 
least accretion of divine character enormously outweighs 
all encyclopedias in the world, and that the details of 
scholarship are of value only as they build character and 
confirm it. 

This is why Decision Day is the one great day of our 
school year. Not that decisions for Christ are to be 
sought only then ; they are to be sought any day, and all 
days. Not that they are to be announced only then ; 
they are to be announced as soon as made. But on De- 
cision Day this great thing will be accomplished : it will 
be rendered certain that, at least once this year, every 
unsaved scholar of the school has been urged to decide 
for Christ. 

I want to tell you how I would go about it. 

Imprimis, begin now. The first decisions of Decision 
Day must be made by the teachers. Hold a meeting, 
teachers and officers together. Let each teacher tell how 
many scholars in his class are yet outside the church. 
By the time this list is completed, you will have formed 
a sufficient argument for Decision Day. You will decide 
to observe it. 

Next, decide that each teacher will have in private a 
frank and full talk with each unsaved scholar in his class. 
Do not yield to the temptation to call in some earnest 
soul who will "draw the net " in the school. Let no man 
reap your harvest ; gather it yourselves. 

Excuses are so easy to find ! 

Your scholars will raise doubts that you cannot answer. 



HOW TO USE DECISION DAY 253 

But you can obtain answers from others wiser than 
you, and always you can hold your scholars to the main 
question, the character and claims of Christ. Always 
you can show them that deciding for Christ means trust- 
ing him for all things, the honest intention to obey him 
in all things, and saying this before men. 

Yoib have already asked them to confess Christ and 
join his church, and they have refused. 

Then there is the more likelihood that the next time 
will win them ! Let them understand that you will ask 
that question again and again, until it is answered for 
God and heaven and happiness. 

They are careless and indifferent, and not ready to join 
the church. 

Christ came to call the careless and indifferent. They 
most need Christ. And beneath this mask of bold de- 
nial, they, for all you know, are most ready to come to 
Christ. 

Others would, have more influence than you. 

That does not absolve you from using your influence. 
And even if they refuse you now, in the coming years 
the very memory of your faithful pleading may draw 
them, as such memories have drawn thousands, to yield 
to the Saviour they now reject. 

Still, call to your aid the influence of others. Get 
the help of the parents. Interest the Christian scholars 
in the winning of their friends. The pastor, the super- 
intendent, some other church-member, may be asked to 
speak a word to this or that. A sermon should be called 
for, — a brave, tender, ardent appeal. A church prayer 
meeting and a young people's prayer meeting should be 



254 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

given up to the theme. Especially, since the young peo- 
ple are both timid and gregarious, if some are plainly 
Christians, but shrink from joining the church, approach 
one after the other with the suggestion that they come in 
a glorious company, a united class. 

If in this way, by appeals and discussions during the 
lesson hour, and especially by quiet talks of teachers and 
friends with the scholars, the time is spent during the 
weeks before Decision Day, then that day will be what 
it should be, less a day for making decisions than for an- 
nouncing those already made. During the session on 
Decision Day I would have a roll-call of classes. Each 
teacher in turn would rise and announce the number in 
his class, the number who are already church members, 
and the number of those that have decided for the Chris- 
tian life and wish to join the church. Each announce- 
ment should be received with some appropriate comment 
by the superintendent, and at the close the pastor, or 
some other Christian honored by all, should give these 
new confessors a word of hearty greeting. 

As to the question whether at this time a general 
appeal should be made calling for immediate decisions 
and public confession of Christ, pastors and teachers and 
churches will differ. In churches not a few, most blessed 
and permanent results have been gained from just this 
step, following the thorough preparation I have outlined. 
If, as each class is called, the Christians and those now 
ready to confess Christ should rise together, and if class 
after class should thus rise and remain standing, and if 
at the beginning and close of the roll-call a loving invi- 
tation should be given for instant decisions, to be shown 



HOW TO USE DECISION DAY 255 

by simply standing with the rest, many would be swept, 
by the current of feeling and action, over their doubts 
and difficulties, which, once surmounted, would never 
trouble them again. 

Only, one caution : let nothing be done or said that 
would fix a soul in denial, and place it definitely in op- 
position to Christ. This is Decision Day, and they have 
not decided yet,* that is all. They must think it over. 
They must talk it over with their teachers. They must 
pray about it. They must never call it a closed question 
till the right decision is made. And they must remember 
that to-morrow may be too late. 



CHAPTER XXXIII 

BIBLE-MARKING IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 

Put a medicine chest, the bottles all unlabeled, in a 
backwoods cabin, and how far will it go toward filling 
the place of a doctor ? Set a man with a box full of 
unmarked keys before a locked door, and how long will 
the door remain closed ? Every da}^ men's hearts are 
sick with troubles for which the Bible contains specifics. 
Every day confronts us with difficulties to which the 
Bible holds the keys. But we go to the blessed Book 
and turn its pages aimlessly, far more likely to hit upon 
the wrong passage than the right one. 

In what chapters would you find answers for a man 
that doubted Christ's divinity ? Where would you find 
comfort for a mourner? From what part of the volume 
will you gain courage to undertake a difficult task? 
What verses are sunshine for the " blues " ? These are 
practical questions. Of what use is your Bible unless 
you can use it ? And the need for it does not often 
come with a concordance in its hands. 

Every one that has tried it, knows that a marked Bible 
is twice and thrice a Bible ; and if our Sunday-school 
work can furnish the scholars with this tool, it will do 
much toward making them Bible-lovers and Bible-users. 

Therefore I am an advocate of Bible-marking as a 
regular class exercise ; but other considerations also lead 
me to urge the practice. For one, it insures the presence 

256 



BIBLE-MAKKING IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 257 

of Bibles in the class. To attempt to teach the Bible 
merely from lesson leaves is like trying to get an idea 
of an oak from a dried oak-leaf. Moreover, this Bible- 
marking renders it quite certain that the Bible will be 
taught as a whole ; David will supplement John and 
Isaiah will talk with Paul, and neither Proverbs nor Ha- 
bakkuk nor the Cana miracle nor Timothy will be allowed 
to stand as the Bible's sole temperance teaching. 

The exercise of Bible-marking fixes the attention of 
the class. It creates a novel interest, born of eye and 
hand as well as brain. It focuses the entire scholar on 
the lesson. 

By Bible-marking the teaching is rendered definite. You 
must settle on the main theme, and all your Bible-mark- 
ing must center on that. When review day comes, and 
these twelve definite and emphasized points pass before 
you, the culminating advantages of the plan will be most 
clearly shown. 

For Sunday-school use — and for home use, too, for that 
matter — I believe in the simplest form of Bible-marking. 
I would use ink, for permanence, though an indelible 
pencil is nearly as good. I would not use colored inks 
or pencils, — nothing but black. I w r ould never confuse 
the eye with markings in the text, but would make all 
markings in the margin. 

A Suggested System. — Every teacher will do well to 
make his own system; he can work his own best. My 
system is exceedingly simple. Opposite each text I write 
a letter or letters indicative of the thought I find promi- 
nent in it. Texts on faith all receive an F in the margin ; 
on fidelity, Fi. G is for God ; Go, for goodness ; Gr for 



258 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

gratitude, and so on. Every main theme has its subdivi- 
sions, which I number. Gl, for example, is God's omnip- 
otence'; G2, God's omnipresence ; G3, God's omniscience. 
Finally, for each of these subdivisions I fix upon a key- 
text, the first of a chain of texts which I carry through 
my Bible. Underneath the Gl that stands in the margin 
opposite my key-text for God's omnipotence, I write the 
number of the page where I will find the second text 
on that subject. Opposite that text I write Gl, and 
beneath that I write the number of the next page that 
contains a text of the series, and so on in a chain that 
will not be completed till I cease to find in the Bible any 
words on that theme. Since I have no financial interest 
in the sale of the book, and since it is the only work of 
the kind, I venture to say that in " The Bible Marks- 
man," sold for thirty -five cents by the United Society of 
Christian Endeavor, Boston, Mass., I have written out 
this entire system, embodying the fifty -two leading Bible 
themes, each with its symbol and seven sub-topics, and 
with thousands of texts thus classified. 

I recommend that the class write on the fly leaves of 
their Bibles their key-texts and symbols, placing after 
each the number of the page where the chain begins. 
Only a few texts should be marked each Sunday. Do 
not try to exhaust the subject. Remember, there are 
other Sabbaths, and the same theme is certain to come 
up again. Adding to the chain on other occasions will 
perpetuate the interest. 

Make use, in your marking, of complete stories and 
entire passages as well as single verses. When you wish 
to refer to more than one verse, write "vs. 6-10," or 



BIBLE-MAKK1NG I1ST THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 259 

whatever it may be, underneath the symbol, closing the 
whole with the number of the next page. 

For the proper carrying out of this plan, the teacher 
will find it best to look ahead over the quarters lessons 
or the year's, choosing among the many topics involved 
in each lesson the one that fits into the Bible-marking 
course; the one, that is, which is not duplicated by les- 
sons soon to come. It is necessary, also, to keep on hand 
a supply of pens and ink, blotters, erasers, and whatever 
else is required for the exercise. 

As the teacher continues this practice of Bible-marking, 
many gains will show themselves, additional to those that 
1 have already detailed. Each scholar will want his own 
Bible ; and, since so much work is to be put upon it, this 
should be a Bible worth keeping all through life, a Bible 
with good paper, large type, wide margins, substantial 
bindings. The parents may easily be interested in pro- 
viding such Bibles for their children. 

Neatness may be taught, — nay, must be, — and some 
reward may be given for the most beautiful work. 

A practical knowledge of the books of the Bible is 
gained, and the scholars rapidly become familiar not 
only with the order of the books, but even with the con- 
tents of many books whose very names were formerly 
almost unknown to them. 

The exercise may be used to promote committing the 
Bible to memory. Get the scholars each Sunday to vote 
on the verses they have marked, selecting their favorite, 
and then learning it by heart through the week, so that 
each one can say it, with book, chapter, and verse number, 
on the next Lord's day. 



260 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

Best of all, perhaps, the teacher may use the Bible- 
marking to promote home study. Tell the class in ad- 
vance around what theme the next Sunday's Bible-mark- 
ing is to center. Show them how to use Bible index 
and concordance. Urge them to make at home a little 
collection of texts suitable to be marked, each text to be 
read by the class, voted upon, and, if adopted, incorpo- 
rated in the class chain of verses. 

I have indicated only a few of the ways in which a 
live teacher may make use of Bible-marking as a class 
exercise. Consecrated ingenuity will discover and invent 
many other ways, to the great profit of the class, and 
their decided advancement in Bible knowledge. 



CHAPTER XXXIV 

HOW TO INSPIRE LOVE FOR THE BIBLE 

This, after all, is the great problem for Sunday-school 
workers. When our children become Bible-lovers, they 
will attend the school regularly, they will study the les- 
sons at home, they will be attentive to the teaching and 
orderly in the class, they will be led with inspiring cer- 
tainty into the way of life. We believe all this ; that is 
why we have Bible schools. We believe it ; but ah, how 
may we bring it about ? This is the problem that in- 
volves all other problems, — to make the children Bible- 
lovers. 

And first, — a very simple principle easily overlooked, 
— you cannot inspire love for the Bible unless you love it 
yourself. Many a teacher may find in these words a 
reason for partial or complete failure. If your love for 
the Bible is feigned or forced, if you read it from duty 
and not from adoration, if you rather postpone it than 
anticipate it, how can you expect your scholars to be 
otherwise ? They will inevitably follow your character 
in preference to your words, if there is any divergence 
between the two. And your real feeling will show itself 
plainly, protruding through the most correct speech. 

But if, on the other hand, you are a Bible-lover 
through and through, then it makes little difference what 
you say, your scholars will be quite certain to catch the 
blessed contagion. If the Bible is your favorite, instinc- 

261 



262 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PEOBLEMS 

tive reading ; if you are saturated with it, familiar with 
all its parts, quoting it unconsciously and often ; if you 
love even the material volume, love to have it near you 
and to handle it ; if, next to the Book itself, books about 
it are your delight; if this is true of you, the children 
will reflect these feelings as surely as the} 7 answer to 
your smiles. You must be yourself the kind of Bible- 
lover you would have each of them become. 

But I see that I am taking for granted that you will 
frankly show your love for the Bible, which some 
through false modesty foolishly would conceal. If you 
would lead the children to love the Book, you must carry 
it openly and proudly, — and well-bound copies, too ; you 
must handle it reverently, not thumbing it, and rumpling 
its pages, and breaking its back ; you must quote it lov- 
ingly ; you must speak of it enthusiastically, not critic- 
ally ; you must not be afraid to use those old-fashioned 
terms, " the precious Gospel," " the dear old Book," 
" Holy Writ," " inspired Scriptures," " the glorious Word 
of God " ; whatever your theory of inspiration may be, 
you must show that you believe in the Bible with all 
your heart. Only as your own love for the Bible is thus 
frank and open will you make expressive Bible-lovers of 
your scholars. 

Next, if the young folks are to become men and 
women of the Book, they must possess Bibles whose out- 
ward appearance is attractive. How can we expect our 
children to love the small-type, broken-backed, dingy, 
dog's-eared Bibles that many of them carry ? You, my 
dear sir or madam, still love your wife or husband in 
whatever rags arrayed ; but, outside of fairy stories, one 



HOW TO INSPIRE LOVE FOR THE BIBLE 263 

does not fall in love with a dirty-faced tatterde- 
malion. 

Still more unlikely is it that the bits of Bible that our 
scholars find on crumpled lesson leaves and torn quarter- 
lies will lead them to love the massive Volume itself, or, 
indeed, to gain any conception of it as a book. One 
might as well give a pupil Bartlett's Quotations and ex- 
pect him therefrom to develop a fondness for Shakespeare. 

See that the children have good copies of the Bible, 
all their own. If they are bound in cloth, let it be red 
cloth, or bright blue ; if in leather, let the edges shine 
with gold. Stamp their name upon the cover. Let the 
type be as clear and large as may be. That cruel saying, 
" Young eyes don't mind small type," has started many a 
young eye toward premature age. But children do love 
small books, and therefore, while each child should have 
his complete Bible, I would make generous use also of 
the Bible portions, copies of the separate books in large 
type. For this purpose the Modern Reader's Bible and 
the Temple Bible are admirable. 

It is good to give a child a picture Bible, if the pictures 
really aid his imagination and do not impede it! Far 
more necessary is it, however, to see that his Bible is in 
the Revised Version. In a myriad places that version 
has removed the stumblingblocks out of the way of the 
child's understanding. And of the various editions of 
the Revised Version those are best for children that re- 
tain the verse divisions of the King James version, be- 
cause they enable the children more easily to " find the 
place," and especially because they render the pages 
more open and interesting to the eye. 



264: SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

But all these matters are preliminaries. Given your 
own love for the Bible, and their possession of copies of 
the Bible that they can fall in love with, the first step is 
merely to introduce them to the Book, get them ac- 
quainted with it. Children do not fall in love with a 
stranger. 

It is astonishing how children enjoy learning the mere 
names of the books of the Bible. Those mouth-filling, 
musical words, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, Thessalonians, and 
the rest, fascinate them before they have the least idea 
of their meaning. My little girl is, at this particular 
moment, perfectly delighted with the Minor Prophets, 
merely as a series of beautiful names. She likes to 
" bound "the various books, — tell what book comes be- 
fore and what after. She is keenly interested in Bible 
hand-drills, finding chapter and verse at call ; finding the 
shortest verse, the longest chapter ; finding the Beatitudes, 
the Ten Commandments, the Shepherd Psalm ; hunting 
up the Christmas story, the story of Joseph, the story of 
David and Goliath. Unconsciously, she is getting book 
outlines and history outlines. She is learning that 
Christ's words and deeds are to be found in a certain 
part of the Book, and Solomon's in another, and Abra- 
ham's in another. She is slowly grouping histories and 
prophecies and poems and letters. She is committing 
bits to memory here and there. She thinks it is play, 
and so it is ; but it is also something more : she is getting 
her introduction to the Word of God. 

After the children, by long, patient, and persistent 
drill, have gained this introduction to the Bible, what 
next ? Then, just as in the second step of a personal ac- 



HOW TO INSPIRE LOVE FOR THE BIBLE 265 

quaintance, throw them as much as possible together 
alone. Let them browse in the Bible. What if they do 
hit on the hard parts ? They will understand more than 
we think they do, and feel what they cannot understand. 
As likely as not, Daniel or even Jeremiah will become 
their favorite book of the Old Testament, and Revela- 
tion or even Romans, of the New. 

It is a good plan to form your class into a Bible- 
Lovers' Club, just for the purpose of reading the Bible 
straight through. Some reward, such as a Red Letter 
Testament, may be given to every child that completes 
the reading. Let them write the date at the close of 
each book as they finish reading it. Let them print an 
X in the corner of each page if they think they under- 
stand it, and go over their Bibles with them now and then 
to increase the number of pages thus marked. If you 
question the value of such a course in Bible-reading for 
children, read what Ruskin says about it in the second 
chapter of his " Praeterita," how his mother read the 
Bible w r ith him, verse about. " She began with the first 
verse of Genesis, and went straight through, to the last 
verse of the Apocalypse ; hard names, numbers, Levitical 
law, and all ; and began again at Genesis the next day. 
If a name was hard, the better the exercise in pronunci- 
ation, — if a chapter was tiresome, the better lesson in 
patience, — if loathsome, the better lesson in faith that 
there was some use in its being so outspoken." And 
Ruskin counted his mother's Bible drill " the one essen- 
tial part " of all his education. 

I think it quite important that as early as possible the 
child should be led into the romance of the Bible. I do 



266 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

not mean the wonderful stories it contains — those, of 
course ; but in addition to them the wonderful story of 
the Book itself. The child should be brought to see it 
as a whole, and to realize God's interest in it as a whole, 
and not merely his care for Isaac and Samuel and 
Timothy. 

To this end much should be told the children of the 
way the Bible came to us, the story of the manuscripts 
and their discovery, so full of absorbing interest ; the 
story of the versions and of the successive English Bibles ; 
the great stories of Luther and Wyclif and Tyndale, the 
King James version, the Victorian revision. When the 
children come to see how much God cares for the Book, 
what a wonderful network of providence he has thrown 
around it, they will come to care for it themselves. 

Then, while the scholars are thus browsing in the Book, 
encourage them to tell what they find. Set apart a few 
minutes in the class for regular reports of the discoveries 
made during the week. Any passage that strikes a child 
as beautiful or helpful he should mark. As he tells 
about it in the class, the others may wish to mark the 
same passage in their Bibles. For the purpose of inspir- 
ing their enthusiasm for the Bible, one discovery of 
theirs is worth a hundred of yours, and one report from 
them is worth a dozen hours' talk from you. What }^ou 
want is to be pedagogic, — child-leaders, — and not didac-. 
tic, — child-lecturers. 

All this, without forcing the children, or passing for 
an instant out of the region of their natural enjoyment. 
But what if they are not naturally inclined toward the 
Bible ? They are naturally inclined toward such employ- 



HOW TO INSPIRE LOVE FOR THE BIBLE 267 

merits as I have outlined. All children like to explore, 
all children like to show what they have found, all chil- 
dren like stories and are captured by romance. They 
may not be naturally inclined toward the higher results 
of love for the Bible, but if they once feel that love, 
though on the lower plane, it will grow — never fear— to 
the highest outreachings. 

Do not expect it all at once. Growth is slow into any 
good thing. How gradually, as the fruit of what long 
patience, does a baby grow into an understanding love of 
the mother ! And we are all at first but babes in the 
Book. These childish markings of tiny texts, and fum- 
blings after the story of Gideon, and learning of the order 
of books, and plodding through chapters, are little things 
to us but great to them, — the narrow path to the moun- 
tain peaks of mighty doctrines, — inspiration, sanctifica- 
tion, justification by faith. They are babes now, but our 
reward is sure, for they are to become men and women 
of the Book ! 



CHAPTEE XXXV 

PENCIL AND PAPER 

Few Sunday-school teachers realize how great aids are 
a pencil and a piece of paper in the teacher's hands, and 
in the hands of each member of the class. Probably, for 
most purposes, a blackboard is better for the teacher's 
use. Not many classes, however, can have that luxury,, 
while not even its presence renders unnecessary the 
scholars' own use of writing materials. Whatever holds 
the hand holds the head. There is no attention-winner 
like a pencil tablet. Work with it overcomes the fidgets 
of the most restless scholar, while at the same time it 
may be made delightfully to clarify the lesson facts and 
teachings, and fasten them in the memory. 

The teacher's first aim is to get attention. There is no 
better way than by placing a piece of paper where all can 
see it, and putting on it a striking fact or question, or a 
simple sketch or diagram. If the teacher has planned 
this opening well, he will gain his scholars' eyes and 
brains without speaking a word. 

The wise teacher, too, has in his mind a lesson analysis, 
— some simple outline which presents the facts and truths 
of the lesson as concisely as a picture. For example : — 
by the wayside = careless 
among thorns = sinful 
in stony ground = shallow 
in good soil = thoughtful 
268 



Seed 
Sown 



Hearts, 



PENCIL AND PAPER 269 

Such a synopsis, if written upon the teacher's pencil 
tablet as the lesson progressed, and copied, step by step, 
by every scholar, would fix forever the central truths of 
the Parable of the Sower. 

Paraphrases. — If the scholars have not studied the les- 
son, an admirable introduction to it may be given in the 
following way. Explain what a paraphrase is, and get 
each scholar to read over the lesson text and then write 
it out in his own words. As the class become more ex- 
pert in this exercise, the teacher may read the lesson to 
them, and their paraphrases may be entirely from 
memory. Let each read his paraphrase aloud, the others 
telling what has been omitted in each case. By the time 
this exercise is completed, the lesson facts will be very 
familiar to all ; and attention, moreover, will have been 
held throughout. 

That may be done, if the lesson has not been studied 
at home ; but the pencil and paper may be made to 
emphasize and direct home study. For this purpose, at 
the close of each lesson the teacher will dictate to the 
class a statement of the subject of the next lesson, and 
how much of the Bible should be read in connection with 
it. He will follow this with a few comprehensive ques- 
tions or themes for study, or he may dictate to each one 
a separate subject for research. For example, if the sub- 
ject is the resurrection, references will be given to all the 
Gospel accounts of the resurrection, and to a few of the 
leading references to that great event made in the Epis- 
tles and the Revelation. Then, to the whole class or to 
individuals, he will dictate such themes as the following : 
" Make a tabular statement of the events connected with 



270 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

the resurrection. " "Why do you believe these accounts 
of the resurrection ? " " What was the effect of the 
resurrection upon the disciples ? " " What results should 
follow in our living if we believe the resurrection?" 

Once in a while — I would not recommend the method 
except for occasional use — each scholar may be asked to 
write a two-minute essay on his theme, to read before 
the class. If you have a bright class, it will even be pos- 
sible, after a short discussion of the lesson, to give them 
pencil and paper, and ask each to write an essay on the 
spot, the same general topic being assigned to all, or each 
receiving a slip of paper appointing him to a theme of 
his own. 

It is evident that such drills as these, and the mere use 
each Sunday of pencil and paper for any purpose, will 
make a written examination seem the natural thing. 
The scholars will not receive the suggestion with in- 
credulous, blank dismay. And if a teacher really wants 
to discover whether his scholars have made any per- 
manent gain, no method of discovery is to be compared 
with the written examination. 

A Summary. — If pencil and paper are useful at the 
opening of the lesson and during its progress, they are no 
less useful at the close. You want to bind together what 
has been taught. You want to be sure of some per- 
manent and adequate impression as the result of the les- 
son half-hour. No lesson is well taught till it is well 
summed up, and no summary is quite so good as that put 
upon paper by the scholars, either at your dictation or 
each for himself. 

As you make use of pencil and paper, uses for them 



PENCIL AND PAPER 271 

will multiply. Now you will draw a sketch map, which 
your class will copy as you draw. Next Sunday, they 
will draw the same map from memory. Now you will 
all make diagrams, of the Herod family, perhaps. Now 
you will illustrate the lesson truths with a simple picture, 
every eye in the class being intent on your pencil tablet. 
On their pencil tablets the scholars will write down the 
bright quotations you want them to remember. For a 
season, they will record there one Bible fact each Sun- 
day. Indeed, there is no end to the usefulness of pencil 
and paper, — if you only have them to use. 

Keep on hand, therefore, in the place where your class 
meets, as many blocks of paper as you have scholars, and 
a few more. Let the paper be rough, that the pencil 
marks may be black. The pencil tablets should have a 
stout backing, that the scholars may write on their knees. 
Have always ready a supply of soft pencils, nicely sharp- 
ened. Some teachers will be able to make profitable use 
of colored pencils also. 

Indeed, though what is written in the class will be of 
value even if thrown away immediately, serving effi- 
ciently to fix in mind the lesson facts and teachings, yet 
it is a decided advantage if the sheet used each Sabbath 
can be made so attractive that it will be preserved as a 
souvenir, and referred to constantly. Their usefulness in 
reviews is especially obvious. The sheets should be of 
uniform size from week to week, and at the end of the 
year they might be bound neatly in strong covers. 

In short, like all teaching methods that are based on 
the fundamental likings and needs of the young, this 
method is susceptible of endless applications, and wise 



272 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

use of it in one way is certain to suggest further use. 
There are the richly-freighted leaves of the Bible ; there 
are the waiting tablets of your scholars' brains ; there are 
the beautiful tablets of white paper. So utilize these 
paper tablets that upon those mysterious brain tablets 
may be inscribed God's words of salvation, and they may 
become living Tables of the Law. 



CHAPTER XXXVI 

WORKING WITH THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETY 

The young people's society and the Sunday school are 
sister-organizations, closely akin in their histories and 
largely sympathetic in their methods. How shall they 
be brought into harmonious and mutually helpful rela- 
tions ? 

Separate Fields. — In the first place, negatively, the 
young people's society should not undertake to do the 
distinctive work of the Sunday school, which is instruc- 
tion in the Bible, nor should the Sunday school attempt 
to carry on the distinctive work of the young people's 
society, which is training for the mature work of the 
church. 

Many are constantly urging the young people's so- 
cieties to supply this or that deficiency, real or imagined, 
in the Sunday school, but the temptation to enter this 
field has been, in the main, resisted. The only approach 
to aggression on Sunday-school domains has been .the 
somewhat wide use by the older societies of Taylor's 
text-book on the life of Christ, a work originating in the 
Epworth Leagues but largely used by Endeavorers also, 
and the use by Junior societies of a life of Christ for 
young people, published by the Christian Endeavor So- 
ciety and written by Dr. Stewart. In addition, the 
present series of Junior Christian Endeavor topics will 
spend four years in a regular progress through the Bible. 

273 



274 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

The decided tendency is to make the prayer-meeting 
topics, both of Junior and older societies, more systematic 
in their selection of Scripture passages and more orderly 
in their survey of Scripture doctrines; but always this 
distinction holds, that the Sunday-school work with the 
Bible is educational, the Bible work of the young people's 
society is devotional and practical ; in the Sunday school 
the scholars take in, in the society the members give out ; 
the Sunday school is chiefly for understanding and be- 
lieving, the society is for applying. If this reasonable 
and profitable distinction is held, the two agencies will 
be kept from clashing even where they approximate most 
closely, and the society will supplement the school at a 
point where the very exigencies of time, if nothing else, 
will always render it deficient. 

A Practice Ground. — In the second place, positively, 
the young people's society will find in the Sunday school 
the nearest, the most natural, and therefore the most 
fruitful field for the practice of those activities to which 
its members are serving apprenticeship. Most of our 
societies recognize this relationship by the regular ap- 
pointment of Sunday-school committees. These com- 
mittees, usually consisting of the older members, are 
called on by the superintendent for a variety of services. 
They often act as substitute teachers, and, indeed, this 
is their most frequently performed duty. They some- 
times constitute a normal class in the school, studying 
each Sunday the next Sunday's lesson, with a special 
view to teaching it if called upon. 

In addition, these committees often canvass the town 
or neighborhood for new Sunday -school scholars. They 



WORKING WITH THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETY 275 

often act as the teacher's aids in looking up absentees. 
They organize Sunday-school choirs, and help the super- 
intendent prepare Sunday-school concerts. In short, in 
a multitude of schools, the superintendent draws upon 
the young people, through this committee as intermedi- 
ary, for a variety of helpful services, which train the 
young people and provide Sunday-school workers for the 
future, at the same time that they contribute to the 
school's immediate prosperity. 

Cognate Subjects. — The young people's prayer meet- 
ings often add to the Sunday-school interest in a way not 
always recognized, because few outside the societies per- 
ceive the frequent dependence of the young people's 
prayer-meeting topic upon the Sunday-school topic that 
has preceded it. Certainly half the time the latter is 
derived from the former, taking up some important prac- 
tical theme which the teachers in the school have had all 
too little time to develop, illustrating it with other Scrip- 
tures, and setting the young people to discussing it in the 
light of the historical studies in the Sunday school. I 
have found that, though this connection of topics is never 
advertised, the young people themselves always recognize 
it and utilize it admirably. 

Mutual Helpfulness. — In the third place, if the young 
people's society should thus aid the Sunday school, cer- 
tainly the latter has some duties toward the former. It 
is plainly to the interest of the school that all its scholars 
should be members of the society, and both teachers and 
officers should work to this end. Especially, however, 
the Sunday school can aid the society by using it. Noth- 
ing is more certainly fatal to the progress of a learner 



276 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

than not to be allowed or compelled to practise what he 
is learning ; and the school is one of the practising 
grounds of the society. 

If teachers and superintendents would everywhere 
utilize to the full the members of their young peopled 
societies, enduring at the start their necessary crudities 
for the sake of the final gain, they would do the socie- 
ties the best of services, and would themselves in the end 
reap great profit for their schools. 



CHAPTER XXXVII 

WHY DO WE TEACH IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL? 

Most work is made or unmade by its motive. If the 
motive is unworthy, the work is sure to be below its pos- 
sibilities. If the motive is lofty, it will often change a 
dwarf to a giant. 

This is true even of manual labor, true even of drudg- 
ery. A swineherd may so tend his pigs that the sty be- 
comes a cathedral. A king may so rule a nation that his 
palace becomes a sty. 

But if it is true of the lowliest toil that it may be 
transformed or degraded by its motive, still more is it 
true of work in the spiritual realm. It is not always 
easy to tell whether a mason is cutting stone with his 
soul or only with a chisel ; it is always possible to tell at 
a glance whether a teacher is putting his soul into his 
task. 

A clear purpose gives force to a man's work. It is like 
a rifle bore to a bullet. Knowing why one does a thing 
helps to do it. A walker will always go farther if he 
has some goal than if he is aimlessly strolling. Sunday- 
school teachers, in the main, persist magnificently in 
their self-appointed task. Certainly the average length 
of service of Sunday-school teachers equals that of sec- 
ular teachers, though the Sunday-school workers are un- 
paid. This persistence is due to the inspiring purpose 
that animates most teachers in the Sunday school. 

277 



278 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

Nevertheless, there are many Sunday-school teachers 
that lack this worthy and impelling motive, and their 
service is correspondingly weak and wavering. 'They 
have in view no exhilarating goal. A comparatively 
slight barrier will stop them altogether. 

What, then, is an adequate purpose ? Why do we 
teach in the Sunday school ? 

And first let us clear the way with a few negatives. 

It is not our main purpose to teach Hebrew history. 
A knowledge of Hebrew history is valuable, but without 
a purpose beyond and above it, we should do better to 
teach the history of our own country. 

That purpose, which is to vitalize every step of our 
historical studies in the Sunday school, is to exhibit 
Christ as the climax of Hebrew history, the summit to 
which all before him rises and from which all later events 
receive their significance. If, for example, we cannot 
relate the exodus to Christ, we might as well study in 
our Sunday schools the ways of God in the abolition of 
modern slavery. If our scholars do not get closer to 
Christ at every point in their Hebrew history, we might 
as well use our Sundays for any other history. 

Neither is it our main purpose to teach Hebrew litera- 
ture. It is a noble literature, the Bible is a glorious book ; 
but there are other noble literatures and glorious books. 
Unless the literature and book are unique, unless they 
come from God as no other writings do, and lead to 
Christ as no other writings do, there is no more reason 
why on Sunday we should hold Bible schools than 
Shakespeare schools. The Bible has no special perti- 
nence for Sunday schools unless we teach it, not as 



WHY DO WE TEACH IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL? 279 

fine writing, but to make fine characters, Christiy 
lives. 

Neither is it the chief object of our Sunday schools to 
give instruction in ethics, in morality. Most of our 
scholars, probably all of them, know what they ought to 
do, but they do not do it. Unaided by Christ, they will 
not do it, they cannot do it. Except as we bring Christ 
into our lessons, and attach to him all our instruction in 
duty, we are building a factory and leaving out the 
engine room. There are Sunday schools that have 
courses in Emerson, and his rules for the conduct of life ; 
but they are consistent, for they belong to churches that 
consider Christ a mere man. 

Nor is it the chief object of our Sunday schools to 
teach the Christian philosophy, on such themes as sin, im- 
mortality, heaven, the nature of God. Without Christ, 
we have no interpretation of these teachings, no proper 
understanding of them. Without Christ, we have no 
authority for them. 

No ; if our Sunday schools have not as their one over- 
mastering object the eager purpose to make Christians, 
we might as well be up to date ; we might as w 7 ell have 
Tolstoi schools, and Carlyle schools, rather than Bible 
schools. Studying the Bible for its literature is carving 
a statue ; for its history, unwrapping a mummy ; for its 
philosophy, painting a picture ; for its morality, dressing 
a dummy ; for its Christ, making a man. When we 
study the Bible for its history, it becomes a text-book ; 
for its ethics, a law-book ; for its literature, a picture- 
book ; but when we study it to make Christians, it be- 
comes a Book of Life. 



280 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PKOBLEMS 

This principle is the chief test to use in selecting lesson 
helps. Do they exalt Christ ? With all their discussions 
of history, literature, customs, languages, is this one pur- 
pose always uppermost, to make Christians ? If it is not, 
I care not how learned and brilliant are the editors and 
how attractive the contents. 

This principle governs also the teacher's preparation 
for his teaching. If his motive is merely to give infor- 
mation, he will plan how to pour facts into his scholars' 
minds but not how to pour life into their souls. He will 
study over his lesson, but not pray over it. He will ex- 
amine his class, but not inspire them. His will be a 
ministry of lore, not of love ; to heads, rather than hearts. 

But if, on the other hand, it is the one passionate de- 
sire of his teaching to make Christians, he will hold this 
purpose in view throughout his preparation for the class. 
He will ask himself every week, " How can this lesson 
be made to show forth Christ ? to bring him nearer to 
my scholars ? " He will look over the lessons far ahead, 
and plan his campaign for souls. He will make one 
evangelistic point each Sunday. One lesson will intro- 
duce a bit of Christian evidence from miracles ; another 
lesson, from prophecy ; with another lesson, he will make 
a direct appeal for the Christian decision. There will be 
no lesson without the Lord. 

The same principle controls the mode of teaching after 
the preparation has been made. In this matter the 
teaching of the Bible is different from the teaching in 
secular schools, and neglect of this difference is respon- 
sible for many misleading comparisons between the two. 
For no one teaches zoology in order to make his scholar 



WHY DO WE TEACH IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL ? 281 

a bird or a lion, or botany to make him a tree, or geome- 
try to make him a triangle, or geology to make him a 
rock. But one does teach the Bible to make the scholar 
a rock, a Peter ! At the most, one teaches geology to 
make the scholar a geologist, an assayer, a mine superin- 
tendent ; but that is only to give him a working knowl- 
edge of geology. Now a knowledge of Christianity is 
not enough ; our scholar must he a Christian. 

So that it is not enough for the teacher to find Christ 
in a lesson ; he must set his scholars to seeking him and 
finding:. He must interest them in relating all the les- 
sons to him. For example, he may have them mark their 
Bible margins red wherever he comes in, as at the pass- 
over, the brazen serpent, the ark of the covenant. 

And so the wise teacher will test his teaching — partly, to 
be sure, by what his scholars know about the Bible, because 
that knowledge is part of the raw material of character ; 
but chiefly by the Bible they have already built into 
character. Constantly he will ask himself regarding 
them, " Are they growing more unselfish ? more prayer- 
ful ? more obedient? more trustful and happy ?" And 
if he can answer those questions in the affirmative, he 
will care comparatively little whether they can tell 
when Ahab reigned or who Philemon was. His test of 
his teaching is Christlikeness. 

But this motive includes all others, and emphasizes 
them. In proportion as we get our scholars to love 
Christ and his service, they will want to know more 
about his words, his book, his land, his people. The 
mos'i ardent and successful students of the Bible have 
been impelled by love to Christ. Indeed, except to those 



282 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

that love Christ, the Bible is not an especially interest- 
ing book. 

This motive, the purpose of character-building, dignifies 
the work of the Sunday-school teacher, and gives it per- 
manent value. We are not sure that Paul's letter to 
Rome or the epistle to Ephesus will be published in 
heaven, or that the Hebrew Psalter will be printed there ; 
but we are sure that Paul will be there, and David, 
speaking more marvelous thoughts, singing more won- 
derful songs. The question is not so much as to our 
scholars' remembering the dates of Paul's life, though 
that is well, or the details of David's campaigns, though 
that is well, as it is whether our scholars will carry to 
heaven the soul that can join with Paul and David in 
the celestial converse and the great new song. It is for 
this eternal result that we are aiming. 

And, finally, this desire to make Christians gives zest 
to Sunday-school teaching. That is why men and 
women toil in the Sunday school without pay. You can- 
not get unpaid teachers of geology, of secular history, of 
English literature. As soon as you leave out the evan- 
gelistic element, and put Sunday-school teaching on the 
plane of the secular schools, you must bring in hired 
teachers and hired superintendents. The glory of our 
Sunday-school work is that it is free service ; and that is 
also its prosperity. 

I was talking last week with an estimable lady who 
described to me a Sunday-school class of seven boys, 
wild, restless youngsters, whom she had taken up, years 
ago, when no one else wanted them. She told with keen 
delight how she had won them, and how, now that they 



WHY DO WE TEACH IJST THE SUNDAY SCHOOL ? 283 

were married men in business, they still came back to 
see her almost as if she were their mother. And how 
her face shone as she came to the climax of the story : 
" Six out of the seven have joined the church, and I think 
the seventh will, some day ! " 

Ah, that is the goal which every Sunday-school teacher 
worth the name keeps full in view ! This is the record 
he keeps, amid all his records of attendance, and strives 
to complete. This is the object of his eager prayers, his 
self-sacrificing toil. With an ardor more strenuous than 
a hunter's for the chase, with ambition more engrossing 
than any Caesar's, with longing keener than a miser's, he 
pursues this spiritual quest. And if he can be sure that of 
all his class a single soul — still more if the entire class — 
has made definite choice of Jesus Christ, so as to serve 
him and enjoy his blessedness through the endless ages, 
then our Sunday-school teacher has received his exceed- 
ing great reward. 



CHAPTER XXXVIII 

HOW TO TELL A BIBLE STORY 

" Of all the things that a teacher should know how to 
do, the most important, without any exception, is to be 
able to tell a story." 

Those are the words of President G. Stanley Hall, the 
eminent educator. They urge a qualification that many 
teachers are slow to seek, and exalt an ideal that many 
teachers belittle. But they hold up as our pedagogical 
model the great Teacher, who taught many things, and 
at one time all things, in parables. If we desire his suc- 
cess we must study his method, and imitate it as well as 
we can. 

Of course it is not merely Bible stories that a skilful 
teacher is prepared to relate with effectiveness, but stories 
from a wide range of sources will be introduced, to illus- 
trate the teaching from modern life. Bible stories, how- 
ever, are the wise teacher's staple, and if he can tell 
them well he can tell any story well; therefore I have 
narrowed my subject to them. 

The outline of the art of telling Bible stories is very 
simple ; the practice is not so easy ! But the outline 
is merely six points : (1) You must know the story. 
(2) You must know more than the story. (3) You must 
imagine more than you can know. (4) You must know 
the children and love them. (5) You must know the 

284 



HOW TO TELL A BIBLE STOKY 285 

Saviour and love him. (6) You must practise. Let us 
consider those points in order. 

And first, you must know all of the story that the 
Bible tells. Its outline must be firm in your mind, and 
every recorded detail must be fixed in its proper place in 
the-outline. 

Try to rehearse to yourself any " familiar " Bible story, 
and see how vague is your conception of it, how con- 
fused your memory. Take for example the striking con- 
test on Mount Carmel between Elijah and the prophets 
of Baal. Where did Elijah come from ? Are you quite 
sure? Where did he meet Obadiah? Who spoke first, 
and just wiiat was that conversation ? What did Ahab 
say when Obadiah brought him the news? Or did he 
say anything that is recorded ? How many priests came 
to Mount Carmel? How soon did they come? Does 
the Bible say ? Who spoke first, up there ? What was 
done first? And what next? What did Ahab have to 
say ? Did he say anything, so far as we know ? When 
did Elijah take matters into his own hands? What did 
he do first ? What did he say first ? How many of us, 
though we have read the account and heard it read many 
times, could answer such questions as those ? And yet 
they must be answered, and many more of the same sort, 
before one is prepared to tell that story to the boys and 
girls. 

We think we know so much more about the Bible 
than we do know ! Our first step, if we want to become 
able to tell any of the Elijah stories, must be to master 
thoroughly all that the Bible tells us about that remark- 
able man and those around him. We must compare 



286 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

Kings and Chronicles. With the aid of the concordance 
and Bible index we must ransack the entire Bible for 
references to him. 

And we must know the facts perfectly. They must 
become instinctive. We must not be obliged to think 
what is coming next. First we must go over it again 
and again with the Bible before us, referring at every 
step to the record. Then we must go over it apart from 
the Bible, on our walks to and fro, while sitting in the 
twilight, the first thing on awaking in the morning. We 
must make it a road we can travel with our eyes 
shut. 

It is useful to commit much to memory. The graphic 
Scripture words will set forth the story, when we come 
to tell it, far better than any words of our own. It is 
well to draw a diagram of the course of the story. It 
is well to write it all out from memory. It is well to go 
over it with other learners, associating yourself in the 
endeavor with teachers whose aim is the same. It is 
well to allow some time to elapse and then go back to 
the story, to see how tenacious is your grasp upon it. 
In all these ways, and in many others that you will per- 
force discover for yourselves, you must make the Bible 
outline of the story an ineffaceable part of your mind. 

But it is only an outline, even then. The Bible is a 
wonderfully condensed book. Stories that a modern 
author would stretch through three hundred pages are 
crowded into a chapter or six verses. Moreover, the 
Bible, we must never forget, is a foreign book, — foreign, 
at least, to our outward experience, though grandly 
native to our hearts. Its scenes are among distant lands. 



HOW TO TELL A BIBLE STORY 287 

Its characters are people of strange races, of customs, 
speech, and habits of thought that differ largely from 
our own. Before we can really tell a Bible story we 
must fill in the details of common experience that did 
not need insertion before an Oriental audience, since they 
were supplied instinctively ; but with us, and especially 
with children, their absence leaves the narrative either 
bare or quite misleading. 

It is the heedless way of some teachers to supply these 
details out of our own modern life, as Christmas Evans, 
in his graphic recital of the Gadarene miracle, makes 
the astonished family of the restored demoniac view his 
orderly approach (clothed and sane) — from the window, 
altogether oblivious to the fashion of Jewish architec- 
ture. Thus the famous painting, da Vinci's "Last Sup- 
per," pictures our Lord and the twelve seated, upright, 
at a modern table. There are features of that account, 
as also in the story of the woman with the alabaster box 
of ointment, that cannot be understood until we know 
how they reclined at table in those days, and the shape 
of the tables. 

And so, before Ave can properly tell a Bible story, we 
must fill in the Bible outline, we must know more than 
the story. As we talk of the " lilies of the field " we 
must not be thinking of our lilies. As we tell of the 
wheat and the tares, we must not have in mind our trim 
fields and our reapers and threshers. Before we can 
relate the Cana miracle we must know about Eastern 
marriages ; or the Nain miracle, we must know about 
Eastern funerals. We must not try to tell the story of 
Elisha and the Shunammite, still less the story of Christ 



288 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

and the man borne of four, without understanding how 
they built houses in those days. 

Sport is made of the old woman who had read the 
dictionary through, and had found it very pleasant read- 
ing, but disconnected. There is one such volume that 
every Sunday-school teacher should read through, and 
that is the Bible dictionary ; at least, its articles of gen- 
eral applicability, such as "Writing," "Houses," "Agri- 
culture," "Money," "Time." Along with that should 
go much reading of volumes of travel and accounts of 
ancient social life, such as Smith's " Historical Geography 
of the Holy Land," the works of Trumbull and Tris- 
tram ; vivid commentaries like those of Geikie, Farrar, 
Edersheim, Maclaren ; stories like "Ben Hur," "Come 
Forth ! " and " The Pillar of Fire." As we go on in 
such reading and study, filling in the Bible outlines with 
a fuller knowledge of Bible times, places, and people, the 
Scriptures will begin for the first time to be contempo- 
rary with us, and we can relate the Bible stories almost 
as if the events had come under our own eyes. 

Almost, but not quite. For that climax of story-tell- 
ing power we need not only to know the story, and more 
than the story, but, in the third place, we must imagine 
more of it than we can know. 

And here is where so many fail. This is why so many 
Bible teachers, well informed and industrious, do not 
grasp the hearts of their scholars : they lack the creative 
faculty of imagination. They have fixed the outline, the 
bones, of the story. They have even filled in the outline, 
laying flesh upon the skeleton ; but they have not 
breathed into their figure the breath of life. 



HOW TO TELL A BIBLE STORY 289 

For example, you may wish to tell of Jeremiah in 
prison. The first step is to read all you can find that re- 
lates to the matter, in Kings and Chronicles, in Jeremiah 
and Lamentations, and even in the Psalms. The second 
step is to learn all you can about the prisons of those 
days, the darkness, the foulness, the utter horror of them. 
But the third step is to put yourself in the place of the 
prophet and try to think his thoughts : " Oh, if Josiah 
had not gone to Megiddo ! Oh, if I had been captured 
with Daniel, or carried away with Ezekiel ! Has my God 
forsaken me? What is Baruch doing now, I wonder. 
Perhaps he is trying to persuade the guard to give me a 
little fresh air, or a ray of light. Ah, for a breath of the 
breeze on Olivet ! What is that noise — drip ! drip ! drip ! 
And w 7 hat is that long, slimy thing I just touched with 
my bare foot ? Is it a water snake ? Verily this is a 
land of serpents, and they are coiled around my nation, 
from the feet to the head ! " 

Is all that going beyond the Scripture? Only beyond 
the letter of it. For Jeremiah must have had such ex- 
periences, and he must have thought such thoughts. It 
is by such imaginative entering into the Bible stories and 
living there that the great preachers, such as Moody and 
Spurgeon, have gained their spiritual triumphs. It is by 
such "fancies," as the Dryasdusts sneeringly call them, 
that the Bible becomes alive to us, and we can make it 
vital to other souls. 

How shall we become able thus to vivify a Scripture 
narrative ? Only by long thought. We must brood 
over it lovingly. We must take up character after char- 
acter, and persistently try to put ourselves in his place. 



290 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PKOBLEMS 

We must ask ourselves at every turn in the story, " Now 
what would I do, if this should happen to me ? What 
would I say ? If this were said to me, what would I 
think? How would I answer? How would I feel? 
What would I do next ? " 

Suppose, for example, you wish to enter imaginatively 
the story of Zaccheus. You might first go through the 
scene in the person of Zaccheus. Picture him to your- 
self — a short, stubby little Jew. His hair is bristly ; one 
lock sticks straight up. His eyes are small and calculat- 
ing. Put in the little touches, — the tear in his clothes 
that he got in his hurried slide down that sycomore. 
Stop. View the scene through the eyes of others. Peter 
saw it. What would he think, as he noticed the eager, 
red-bearded face thrust through the branches ? Judas 
saw it. Ah, what did that scene mean to Judas? Zac- 
cheus's wife was looking on in amazement, and with a 
wildly rising, unreasonable hope. There, in the crowd, 
is Isaac bar Daniel, who has just been driven to beggary 
by Zaccheus's exactions. What black rage fills his heart 
as he sees the active little man wriggling along the syco- 
more branch ! There was a small bo} 7 in that tree — 
why, of course there was ! And Zaccheus pushed him 
aside with a curse, and almost threw him to the ground. 
What did } 7 oung Ben think, and say ? 

In that way let your fancy play around the scene. 
Can you not see Zaccheus boastfully bowing Christ into 
his fine house, the little figure almost tall in his sudden 
good fortune? And perhaps our Lord said sadly to the 
tax-gatherer : " Whose is this fine house, Zaccheus ? " 
Then, as the publican lowered his head, our Lord may 



HOW TO TELL A BIBLE STORY 291 

have added, gently, " My friend, I would rather abide 
with you in a hovel, that was all yours." 

Dwell with sympathetic insight upon every detail of 
the entertainment, as it must have occurred. Imagine 
the steps by which Zaccheus rose. At first, perhaps, he 
thought to himself, " I must — yes, I must give back that 
money I screwed out of Jacob bar Jonathan." Then : 
" I must go into this thing more thoroughly ; I must re- 
store every penny." Then, the splendid outburst of re- 
pentance and of promise in which all the story has its 
crown. 

This poetic ability to enter other lives is the third 
essential for the real understanding of a Bible story ; but 
the understanding of a story is not the telling of it — ah, 
no ! In unfolding the art of narration I must hasten to 
add a fourth requirement : you must know and love the 
children to whom you are telling the story. You must 
enter the hearts of the children, as you have already en- 
tered the heart of the story. You must catch their eager 
spirit. You must see how their fresh vivacity demands 
movement from you, briskness, energy, a whiff of fun. 
You must understand how little will arouse their imagina- 
tion, how quickly they catch an idea. You must sympa- 
thize with their youthful passion for life, their capacity 
for all amounts of preaching if it is incorporated in life, 
and for no amount of it if it is detached from life. You 
must see how they need and enjoy repetition, — the repe- 
tition of thoughts and phrases in a story, the repetition, 
endlessly, of the story itself. You must try to see why 
Joseph is a favorite with them and Paul usually is not, 
and you must seek to present the story of Paul with 



292 SUNDAY-SCHOOL PROBLEMS 

those elements of romance and of simple, dramatic action 
which exist there, but do not lie on the surface as they 
do in the famous tale of the Old Testament. In fine, 
you must disburden yourself of your years, of your adult 
ways of thinking, and you must put yourself in the place 
of your youthful auditor, as you have succeeded in put- 
ting yourself in the place of your characters. 

I am writing to Sunday-school teachers, and so I need 
only mention the fifth essential of the art of Bible story- 
telling : You must know and love Christ, the greatest 
teller of fascinating tales. You must get his insight into 
truth ; you must have his love for children. You must 
draw near to him ; there is no other way of drawing near 
to his children, or of drawing them to him. Especially, 
in all your story-telling you must seek to exalt him, and 
you must seek nothing else. Self-forgetfulness is one of 
the great secrets of the story-teller's art, as self-conscious- 
ness is his certain failure. The way to success in story- 
telling, as in all things, is the way of the cross. 

And my last injunction of the six needs also only a 
word : Practise ! It will go clumsily at first. Art is 
long ; the story-teller's art is very long. Imagination 
will be dull, facts will escape your memory, relations 
will be confused, you will seem to be acting a part ; and 
since you do not convince yourself with the tale, of 
course you will convince no one else. But persevere, 
persevere ! Study results. If you fail, see why you 
fail, and thus lay the only foundation for success. Study 
different methods. Listen to others that know how to do 
it. Catch their points of effectiveness. Above all 
things, practise ! practise ! practise ! 



HOW TO TELL A BIBLE STORY 293 

And as you go on, month after month, telling the old, 
old stories, telling them with a love for them and for the 
children and for your Saviour, crowding into them an 
ever-growing wealth of knowledge, inspiring them with 
an ever more vivid insight, thus, as the months go by, 
you will increase in the power of a teacher, what has 
become real to you will become real to your scholars, and 
the wonderful Bible story, from cover to cover, will be 
to you and to them the words of eternal life. 



INDEX 



Acquaintance with the scholar, 23 

Acrostics, 14, 17, 120 

Adult classes, 132 

Analyses of the lessons, 14, 268 

Apologies, 58 

Applications, 32 

Attendance — increasing it, 40, 55, 

68, 118, 132 
Avocation, The Sunday school as 

an, 124 

" Baby talk,' » 165, 166 

Backward scholars, 22 

Badges, 41 

Bible dictionary, 288 

Bible drills, 154, 264 

Bible foundations, 228 

Bible, loving it, 261 

Bible-marking, 13, 154, 256 

Bibles for home use, 8 

Bibles in the class, 40, 138, 150 

Bible stories, how to tell them, 284 

Bible-teaching, what it involves, 

234, 278 
Biographies, home-made, 11 
Biography, 161 
Blackboard work, 17, 40, 41, 55, 

75, 90, 116 
Boy problem, 79, 247 

Calisthenics, 43 

Central point of the lesson, 31, 209 

Chalk talks, 75 

Charts, and their use, 10, 121 

Christ in all lessons, 211, 235, 251, 

279, 292 
Christian evidences in the Sunday 

school, 173, 236 
Christian Patriot's League, 162 



Christmas exercises, 202 

Christmas festivities, 171, 198 

Classes in Christian evidences, 190 

Class nucleus, 222 

Class organization, 46, 136 

Class rooms, 132 

Closing the lesson, 16, 33 

Closing the school, 95 

Clubs for boys, 79 

Collections, 171 

Commentaries, home-made, 13 

Committees in a class, 137 

Comparing Scripture with Scrip- 
ture, 12 

Completeness in our work, 12, 35 

Comradeship with the scholars, 22, 
42, 100 

Correspondence classes, 113 

Curios, 244 

Day schools and Sunday schools, 

26, 50 
Decision dav, 250 
Definite tasks, 24, 35, 38, 138 
Diagrams, 14, 17, 45 
Doubts. 176, 182, 231, 252 
Drawing, 90, 117, 119, 122 
Duty books, 13 

Early comers,- 47 
Easter lesson, 192 
Enjoyment of our work, 39, 58, 64, 

97, 110, 126, 282 
Essays, 146 
Examinations, 38, 270 
Exchange of classes, 26, 148 
Excursions, 83, 101 
Exhibitions of work, 39 
Expelling scholars, 43, 50 



295 



296 



INDEX 



Fisher's "Manual of Christian 

Evidences, " 190 
Fun in Sunday-school work, 89, 97 

Goals, 25, 34, 283 
Golden texts, 52, 244 
"Gospel of Peter,' ' 193 

Hall, President G. Stanley, 

on story-telling, 284 
Hand-work for the scholars, 44, 54 
Harder lessons, and how to teach 

them, 141 
Helps for Bible-study, 8, 148, 239 
Higher criticism, 187, 225 
Home departments, 23, 73 
Home study : how to get it, 7, 35, 

223, 260, 269 
Home work with the scholars, 10, 

22, 23, 45, 83, 84, 145 
Hopkins's "Evidences," 175 
"Hop, skip, and jump" teaching, 

170 

Illustrations, 15, 19, 103, 220 
Imagination, 25, 105, 288 
Imitation in children, 57 

Keywords, 12 

Last five minutes, 16 

Lectures, 75, 135, 147 

Lesson hour cut short, 27 

Lesson leaves, 263 

Lesson perspective, 207 

Letters to scholars, 18, 108 

Library, 168 

"Looking forward" meetings, 244 

Love for the Bible, 261 

Manifolding devices : how to 

use them, 13, 90, 244 
Manner in teaching, 44, 57, 99 
Maps, 14, 38, 45, 121 
Membership committees, 71 
Memorizing Scripture, 52, 259 
Men in the school, 139 
Merrill's "Parchments of the 

Faith," 190 



Miracles, 233 

Motive for teaching, 42, 124 

Music of the school, 70, 75, 168 

National aspects of the lessons, 

160 
National holidays, 163 
Newspapers, 19, 159 
Normal classes, 129 
Notices, 86, 117 
Nucleus of the class, 222 

Omnibus, 76 

Opening exercises, 70, 95 

Orchestras, 70 

Order in the class and school, 43, 

98 
Order of service, 48, 95 
Outside classes, 75 
Outside the school, 22, 79 
Over-promptness, 47 

Paraphrases, 12, 45, 145, 269 
Parents and home study, 10, 23 
Parents helping the teacher, 46, 50, 

112, 150, 253 
Partitioning off the classes, 133 
Pastors helping. 39, 72, 143, 253 
Patriotism in the Sunday school, 

158 
"Pearls before swine," 218 
Pencil and paper in the class, 17, 

19, 268 
Pert replies, 167 
"Philosophy Four," 97 
Photographs, 15 
Picnics, 170 

Pictures, 17, 18, 45, 162, 244, 263 
Planning the work, 28, 29, 30, 44, 

53, 66. 102, 109, 129, 208 
Poems, 18 

Porch committees, 137 
Postal-card invitations, 77 
Praise, 25 

Prayer in the class, 19, 46 
Prayer in the school, 48, 163 
Preparation for teaching, 42, 129, 

144, 219, 280 



INDEX 



297 



Printing for the school, 76 
Programmes of recitations, 146 
Promptness, 48 

Proportion in teaching, 29, 189, 207 
Purpose of the Sunday school, 78, 

277 
Puzzling questions, 176 

Questions, and how to use them, 
13, 18. 19, 20, 32, 45, 66, 67, 119, 
146, 223, 242, 245 

Quotations, 18, 19 

Recitations, 70, 162 
Eeporting the attendance, 77 
Reports of home study, 8 
Reverence, 46 
Reviews, 14, 25, 38, 39, 53, 148, 

245, 271 
Revised version, 263 
Rewards of Sunday-school work, 

131 
Rice's "Our Sixty -six Sacred 

Books," 190 
"Right Bait," 247 
Round robins, 110 

Scholars helping one another, 23. 

46, 223 
School-rooms, 69 
Scolding, 23, 69 
Scrap-books, 15 
Secular history, 161 
Servant girls' classes, 74 
Social committees, 137 
Soul-saving, 3>, 108, 250, 279 
Souvenirs, 18, 271 
Speakers from outside, 2 > 
Specialties in teaching, 130 



Starting the lesson, 43 
Stewart's life of Christ, 273 
Story-telling art, 20, 105, 284 
Study bees, 23 
Substitute teachers, 63 
Summaries of the lesson, 270 
' ' Sunday-schooly, "164 
Superintendent helping the teacher, 

46, 47, 143, 253 
Superintendent's blackboard, 116 
Superintendent's manner, 94 
"Superintendent that needs a 

muzzle," 213 
Superintendent, the talkative, 27, 

49, 118, 123, 213 
Supernatural, 233 
Swing of the school, 93 
Symbols, 17 
Sympathy with the scholars, 22, 

144, 291 

Talking to the school, 27, 28, 118, 
165 

Tardiness, 27, 41 

Taylor's life of Christ, 273 

Teachers' meetings, 69, 129, 143, 
215, 238 

Titles of chapters, 37 

Trumbull's " Teachers and Teach- 
ing," 239 

Verse comments, 66, 145 
Voice in teaching, 44, 100 

Why do we teach ? 277 



Young people's society, 63, 71, 
273 



REVISED AND ENLARGED 



WAYS OF WORKING 

OR, HELPFUL HINTS TO SUNDAY- 
SCHOOL WORKERS OF ALL KINDS 

By Rev. A. F. Schauffler, D.D. 
232 pp. Cloth, $1.00 



The new edition contains a chapter on the Relation of the Pastor to 
the Sunday School, a supplementary chapter on The Blackboard (illus- 
trated), and one on the Home Department. Everybody should have 
this book. It covers every phase of Sunday-school work in a clear, 
instructive manner, and cannot fail to be of marked benefit to every 
worker. It has received the highest commendations from the relig- 
ious press and the leading Sunday-school men. Below we give a 
proof of them. 

" The appearance of a really helpful manual for Sunday-school teachers 
or superintendents is a noteworthy event. Dr. Schauffler has given us the 
ripe results of his experience as superintendent and a teacher of teachers. He 
takes up the various phases of a superintendent's work, and shows what 
constitutes success, how success is often lost, and how it may be won." — 
S. S. Times. 

" This is a capital book. So far as the teacher and the method go, it 
leaves nothing unsaid. Dr. Schauffler's book is the very best book for 
teachers, and on teacher's methods, that we have seen." — The Independent, 
New York. 

" It unlocks the door to the treasure-house of Sunday-school success." — 
F. N. Peloubet, D.D. 

"The best all-around book for a Sunday-school worker I know of." — 
Marion Lawrence, Sec'y Ohio State S. S. Association. 

" Cannot fail to be of value in the hands of all Sunday-school workers." 
— IV. H. Hall, Sec'y of Conn. State S. S. Association. 

"Dr. A. F. Schauffler, who is widely known as one of the most expert 
and distinguished Sunday-school men of our time, has prepared a book en- 
titled ' Ways of Working.' 

" As the title suggests, it is a statement of methods, and abounds in prac- 
tical suggestions concerning all departments of Sunday-school work, the 
duties of every officer, and all particulars which are likely to suggest them- 
selves. It is based upon long and varied personal experience and observa- 
tion. It is written in a clear, simple, telling fashion, and will take rank at 
once in Sunday-school literature as a standard publication." — The Congre- 
gationalist. 



W. A. WILDE COMPANY 

BOSTON AND CHICAGO 



The Teacher, The Child 
and The Book 

OR, PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS AND METHODS 
FOR SUNDAY-SCHOOL WORKERS 

By Rev. A. F. Schauffler, D.D. 
283 pp. Cloth, $7.00 



" Not many men among us are better able to teach teachers 
than Dr. Schauffler. His life has been devoted to the work, and he 
has done it well. This book is full of good things. Its aim is to 
give the teacher information concerning methods of work which have 
been found practical and helpful. The book is heartily commended 
to teachers who desire to make the most possible of their ability and 
of their opportunity." — The Westminster Teacher. 

" All the promises of the title page are fully kept. This volume 
gives to teachers a variety of carefully selected information concern- 
ing methods of work which have been found practical and helpful by 
others. Rarely indeed have we made the acquaintance of a book 
that has a better claim to be regarded as practical. The suggestions 
that are offered have the backing of sound common sense and the 
recommendation of successful trial. A teacher that is capable of 
learning anything at all from such a book as this cannot fail to get 
new strength and quickening for his great work from these rich 
pages." — Sunday School Work. 

" Teachers who really wish to teach, and so instruct the child in 
the precious truths of the divine word as that a lasting impression 
shall be made, will find this volume of very great help in the wise 
performance of their sacred task." — The Examiner. 

" This book is exceedingly practical as well as very attractive. 
Each chapter gives a definite view of some important truth. Dr. 
Schauffler does not aim at exhaustiveness, but rather at clear impres- 
sions. The volume is one that is sure to energize any Sunday school 
whose teachers will read it." — The Christian Endeavor World. 

" This book is not visionary, nor theoretical, but intensely practi- 
cal; it tells an average teacher how to do things with just what may 
be at hand with an average class of little ones, or with larger 
children." — The Baptist Teacher. 



W. A. WILDE COMPANY 

BOSTON AND CHICAGO 



The Front Line of the Sunday- 
School Movement 

THE LINE OF THE VANGUARD OF SUNDAY- 
SCHOOL PROGRESS, WITH A GLIMPSE OF 
IDEALS BEYOND 

By Rev. F. N. Peloubet, D.D. 
2 %7 PP> Cloth, $7.00 



" These chapters are filled to the brim with helpful suggestions, 
which are given point and illumination by striking illusions and tell- 
ing quotations. The arguments are ably sustained and finely wrought 
out. Notes of progress are sounded all the way along. Workers 
who desire to find the front line of Sunday-school work and to keep 
on it may read this book to their profit. It is notably free from the 
' ologies '- that overload some of our modern books treating the Sun- 
day school. The meat that is here will afford strength for many 
days." — Sunday- School Work. 

" This volume is the ripe fruit of long and intimate observation 
and the fullest practical knowledge. It discusses the topics that are 
most important and most vital at the present time, such as teacher- 
training, the grading of Sunday schools, organization for 
Bible-study, the historic and other methods of Bible-study, Sunday- 
school rooms and their equipment. The entire volume in each 
chapter and page is helpful. No Sunday-school worker but will count 
it worth its weight in gold." — The Christian Endeavor World. 

" The aim of the book is to show the best that has been accomplished 
in Sunday school, and help others to attain that standard. The 
character of the building, grading of the school, training teachers, 
preparation of lessons, and methods of teaching are all discussed in 
an illuminating and practical manner; and no one can read these 
chapters without benefit. Every Sunday-school officer and teacher 
should possess and study this book." — W. R. Moody. 

" Dr. Peloubet is a master in this realm, and a careful observer of 
methods. Superintendents ought to secure several copies for their 
Sunday-school library, and encourage young men and women to 
read it, instead of books that merely amuse but give no practical 
instruction. The pastor will find this work invaluable while he 
seeks to train his teachers. In fact, every official in the school 
ought to become familiar with its teaching and carry out into prac- 
tice the lessons taught therein." — The Baltimore Methodist. 



W.A.WILDE COMPANY 

BOSTON AND CHICAGO 



THE BLACKBOARD IN 
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 

By Henry Turner Bailey, State Super- 
visor of Drawing of Massachusetts 
Price, bound in cloth, 75 cents, postpaid 

" Henry T. Bailey is peculiarly fitted for the task of -writing on ' The 
Blackboard in Sunday-school,' being at once an ardent Sunday-school man, 
a student of teaching methods, and officially the State Supervisor of Draw- 
ing for Massachusetts. The manner of ihe book is in Mr. Bailey's most 
winning vein, clear, lively, informing, independent, and original. It is par- 
ticularly designed to teach the uninitiated some of the fundamentals of draw- 
ing, and especially blackboard drawing, including lettering, of course. The 
book is full of clever little turns of expression, sometimes direct, and some- 
times aside. That the blackboard has been badly abused and overdone in 
some of the Sunday schools is beyond question. Mr. Bailey is careful to 
adminster the caution that the 'acrostic may be easily overdone.' Many 
a person who is not a Sunday-school superintendent or teacher will derive 
enjoyment, to say nothing of profit, from this learned, beautiful, abundantly 
illustrated, and otherwise admirable book." — The Sunday School Times. 

"This new book on the blackboard is beautifully gotten up and most at- 
tractive. Much of the matter that deals with the principles of teaching is 
first class. " — Rev. A . F. Schauffler, D.D. 

THE BLACKBOARD CLASS 
FOR PRIMARY SUNDAY- 
SCHOOL TEACHERS 

By Florence H. Darnell 
P}'ice, 25 cents, postpaid 

The purpose of this little book is to aid those teachers who desire to illus- 
trate their work, and yet feel that they have not the ability to draw. Believ- 
ing that " the power to draw is innate in every one," the author has prepared 
a series of lessons which develop this ability by easy stages The lessons 
begin with simple drills in straight lines ano circles. Gradually they grow 
more difficult, until the pupil who has practised faithfully is able to draw any 
ordinary picture. 

The Twenty-third Psalm, the Parable of the Sower, and other special il- 
lustrations are carefully taught. 

" By easy and gradual steps the learner is shown how to use the cravon, 
thus gaining, by daily practice, skill in simple illustration of the lesson. This 
little book is suggestive n<>t only to primary teachers, but helpful to mothers 
who seek to interest the children at home." — The Sunday School World. 

" 1 would say that Miss Darnell's experience in giving directions f^r b'ack- 
boards to Sunday school Primary Teachers has enabled her to make a most 
practicable book for all teachers. It is just such a book as Primarv Sunday- 
school Teachers desire to have and greatly need." — Mrs. Wilbur F. Crafts. 

W. A. WILDE COMPANY 

BOSTON AND CHICAGO 



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